True Love (2020 Reboot)
by A.G.Wicked
Summary: Set in an alternate universe after Ice Age 3; Sid has being feeling out of place with the herd before he comes across some old friends from the past, one of which he begins to fall in love with name Carrie but soon a pack of evil wolves threaten to destroy the herd as the group will have to work together with Sid and possibly his one true love to overcome the villainous wolves!
1. Prologue

**Hey guys! Welcome to the 2020 reboot of True Love 1**

**Unlike the original (which sadly no longer exists) and the remake (which is now the main story)**

**This reboot will be based in an fanfic alternate universe of the Ice Age series that will be set around at the end of Ice Age 3: Dawn of the Dinosaurs.**

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**The following characters that will appeared in the reboot (Fair note: There're to be some major changes for the reboot with the OC characters)**

**Manny**

**Sid**

**Diego**

**Ellie**

**Peaches (Kid)**

**Crash**

**Eddie**

**Buck**

**Carrie - Sid's Love Interest**

**Dodger - Carrie's Little Brother**

**Niamh - Carrie and Dodger's Best Friend**

**Victor - The Alpha Wolf (Main Villain)**

**Carlotta - The Loyal Follower (Secondary Villain)**

**Balthazar - The Brute Follower**

**Leo - The False Friend and Spy for Victor**

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**The following characters will NOT appeared in the reboot:**

**Sid's Family**

**Granny**

**Shira**

**Louis**

**Yoko**

**Shelly**

**Egbert**

**Rudy**

**The Saber Pack**

**Gutt's Crew**

**Precious**

**The Characters From Ice Age 5**

**Toby - The Original Good Wolf**

**Elisa - Toby's Love Interest**

**Rosy - Sid and Carrie's Daughter**

**Milton JR - Sid and Carrie's Son**

**Brenda - Toby's Deceased Mother**

**Marcus - Toby's Brother**

**Marcus JR - Dodger and Niamh's Son**

**Aiu - Diego and Shira's Son**

**Anthony "Phoenix" - Carlotta's Minion**

**Carlos - Carlotta's Other Minion**

**James - Carrie's Original Brother**

**Fred and Ted - The Good Vultures**

**Nathaniel - One of Victor's Minions**

**Sierra - Victor's Sister**

**Barbossa - Victor's Brother**

**Jonathan - Leo's Little Brother and Rosy's Love Interest**

**Stan - The Wise Leader of the Sloth Village**

**Krang - The Gorilla**

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**I don't own Ice Age and it's characters! They belong to Blue Sky Studios! But I do own this story and the OCs**

**Cover Illustration is an old drawing drawn by my dear friend Snowstoat on DeviantART whom I have permission to use for this fanfic**

**Enjoy the story my friends!**

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**Prologue**

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The herd were heading out of the Dinosaur World, back the way they come when they planned to rescue Sid. Buck, the new member of the herd, sadly sighs at the death of his playmate, Rudy; But even he had a good hutch that maybe there is life and adventure back up in the Ice Age world even with the odd but strong-willed herd as he looks back at the Dinosaur World, one last time and said:

"So long big guy"

Diego soon approaches Buck and asked:

"Buck? You OK?"

"To be honest, tiger. I'm not sure what's going to happen once I got up there" Buck replied.

"No one knows what will happen now, that's the beauty of the future, Buck. Like us, you make it your own together as a family as I've come to learn. I don't need to leave the herd for adventure and all that; I had that all along" Diego explained to the weasel.

The one eyed weasel looks onward at the sabre then to the herd he has chosen to join before he smiles and said: "Ya know what, tiger. I think this is going to be a start of a great new adventure"

"I think so, Buck" Diego agreed.

"Hey you two coming or what?" Manny called out from behind while guiding his newborn daughter, Peaches out of the cave with Ellie.

"We're coming" Diego called back.

"Before we leave, maybe it's best that this world should really stay down here so no one can disturb the dinosaurs again" Buck pointed out, looking back to the world he once called home.

"Yeah but how are we going to do that?" Diego questioned the new herd member.

The weasel eventually looks up at the vines that holds the skeleton bridge they crossed over until Buck said: "If I cut these vines down, the whole cave will come down and the entrance will be caved in forever"

"Doesn't that sound dangerous?" Diego asked.

"Aye. But it's worth a shot" Buck winked with his remaining eye.

Diego then grins with adventurous vibes and reply: "Let's do this"

The one eyed weasel quickly grabs a vine and with one huge leap, he swings around in the air, cutting the greenery ropes holding the skeleton bridge. Diego begins running while hearing Buck cheering vigorously and eventually landed on Diego's back.

"Let's get out of here, mate!" Buck exclaimed while riding on Diego's back.

The sabre-tooth tiger sped up his running and eventually they both made it out of the cave just as it was officially caved in forever.

"Did everyone make it out?" Diego called out to herd.

"We all did" Ellie nodded.

"What happened down there?" Manny asked in bewilderment.

"I decided that this world should never know about the Dinosaur World down below. So I caved in the entrance where no one will ever go down there again" Buck responded to the bull mammoth.

"Smart move" Manny agreed.

"Are you alright, Buck?" Crash asked the weasel in concern.

"Aye. I'll be alright" Buck replied, smiling at the possums.

"You're going to love being in the herd" Eddie excitingly said.

Soon they heard Peaches cooing and laughing before Ellie gently puts the baby mammoth down on the snow. Curious as the baby mammoth was, she played with the snow, laughing happily while playing with it.

Manny smiles happily at his newborn daughter before he notices Diego walking to him. He remembers that Diego didn't want to stay with the herd because the tiger feared that being in a herd was making Diego less of a sabre and more of a domestic cat which made him believe that he was losing his predatory and pride.

Manny approached the sabre and said: "I know this "baby makes three" thing isn't for you, but whatever you decide to do..."

Diego raised a paw up to halt him before he responded with:"I'm not leaving, buddy"

Manny looked at his best friend, surprise of his choice before Diego added: "Life of adventure? It's right here"

"But I got a whole speech here! I've been working on it. How can I show you that I'm strong and sensitive? Noble yet caring?" Manny asked to which Diego playfully punched Manny on the shoulder before the bull chuckled: "Thanks"

Soon they sees Peaches playing with Buck and the possums to which Crash starts making a snow angel that Peaches started to copy what Crash was doing. In doing so, she accidentally squashed Eddie who was behind her when she falls backward and makes a snow angel. When they saw what happened, Buck and Crash were laughing as Peaches jumps about and laughs.

"They grow so fast, huh? Yeah. I mean, look at my kids. Seems like they were born one day and then gone the next" Sid happily sighed out.

"They were, Sid" Diego pointed out to the sloth.

"Yeah. That was a lot of work" Sid agreed.

Sid then looks at the duo that rescued him and felt bad for bringing them into this mess before he sighs out:

"Guys...I just want to say that...I'm so sorry"

"For what?" Diego asked.

"For making you risk your lives for something I did, I was only trying to do something good but...you guys were right all along and I'm sorry" Sid apologised to Manny and Diego, feeling guilty for making the herd go down to the dangerous world and almost getting them killed.

"You were a good parent to those kids, Sid" Diego reassured the sloth.

"And besides that's what you do in a herd, you look out for each other" Manny pointed out.

"Thanks guys" Sid thanked.

Soon it begin to snow as Peaches sees a snowflake and attempts to touch it until it got in her trunk and she sneezes a bit before Ellie giggled out:

"That's right, sweetheart. Welcome to the Ice Age"

Eventually the herd looks around at each other and knew that things are going to change around here now that the herd has gotten bigger and stronger together.

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_**Six Years Later...**_

Somewhere in the middle of a small blizzard in an open snowy path, three sloths, one male and two females are walking together as they cautiously look around in the area, trying not to be spotted by dangerous animals that maybe lurking nearby the wide open spaces they are travelling upon.

"Dodger, I'm scared" A blue female sloth whimpered.

"Don't worry Niamh. I got you. Just keep quiet and we'll be OK" The green male sloth whispered.

"OK" Niamh whimpered before the green sloth put his right arm around her and they continued walking together with a pink female sloth ahead of them.

Niamh stares on at the sloth in front of her before Dodger notices and asked

"Is something wrong?"

"I...well...it's just...I'm worried about your sister" Niamh nervously replied.

Dodger sadly sighs out and said "I'm worried about her too"

The two sloths sadly looks on the pink female sloth, looking down at the snow path she is walking ahead of the two sloths behind her, in deep misery and guilt.

"This is all my fault...My family...My people...They're gone because of me...It should've being me...It's all my fault...It's all my fault...It's all my fault..." The pink sloth sadly vent to herself via whispers.

"Carrie? Are you OK?" Dodger asked in concern.

The sloth known as Carrie said nothing for a moment but eventually looks back and said: "I'll be fine...Let's just keep walking and find somewhere safe for the night"

The others nodded before the trio heads onward, unaware that high upon a cliff behind the sloths, two shadowy creatures watches on menacingly upon them within the cold and stormy night...

* * *

**TRUE LOVE (2020 Reboot) By A G Wicked**

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**What happens next?**

**Stay tuned to find out**


	2. Life With The Herd

**Chapter 1: Life With The Herd**

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Three months later in a valley near the mountains, a herd lived near a cave near to a beautiful river by the woods nearby. Sid the sloth was sitting near a fire that he created himself as he looks around to see his family around him. Diego was just relaxing on a smooth rock near the others, Crash and Eddie were just playing around as always while six year old Peaches who has grown tall like her uncle Sid was watching Buck the weasel, craving a wooden dinosaur from his dino-knife.

"And _presto!_ This dinosaur is just like the one I fought with many years ago before you were even born, lass" Buck said to the young mammoth.

"That is awesome" Peaches said in awe as she holds the wooden dinosaur in her paws

"So Buck; are you enjoying life with us lately?" Sid questioned the one eyed weasel.

"Honestly, there are times I missed my old home but being with you mammals brings me vibes of adventure and life here. So yeah, I'm glad to be with you guys" Buck answered.

Soon Manny and Ellie appeared before the others as they just got back from their date. Peaches was the first to see them as she runs up to her parents and cheerfully greets them: "Hey Mom! Hey Dad!"

"Hi sweetie" Ellie giggled as she hugs her daughter.

"Peaches, isn't it past your bed time?" Manny asked his daughter.

"I was just entertaining the lass here with this" Buck said as he points to the wooden dinosaur.

"Buck was showing me how to make dinosaurs out of wood" Peaches said to her mother.

"That's nice, sweetie" Ellie happily said before she picks up her daughter. "But now it's time for bed, darling"

"But I'm not sleepy" Peaches whined.

"Yes you are" Ellie nodded.

"No I'm not" Peaches yawned.

"Good night Peaches" The guys variously said to Peaches.

"Thanks for looking after Peaches for us, Diego" Manny thanked Diego.

"Anytime, buddy" Diego replied.

"What about me?" Sid asked the bull mammoth.

Manny just raised an eyebrow and asked: "What about you?"

"I was babysitting her too" Sid pointed out.

"Sid, I only asked Diego to babysit her, not you" Manny sighed, rolling his eyes.

"What? Why just Diego? I can be a good babysitter" Sid protested.

"Oh sure; you mean how like we actually let you babysit Peaches that one time and you ended up losing her?" Manny firmly points out.

"I...I didn't mean to lose her; the twins tripped me over with their pranks and made me lose sight of her" Sid explained.

"Did not" The twins denied even though they both knew it was the truth.

"Look, Sid; You're the last person I wanted to watch over my daughter" Manny said to the yellow sloth.

"Oh don't be so hard on the lad. I think he can do fine with stuff like that" Buck spoke out for the yellow sloth, winking at Sid.

"Don't encourage him, Buck" Diego doubtfully sighed.

Soon Manny sees Ellie singing Peaches a lullaby as the young mammoth soon drifts off to sleep; it made Manny smiles happily at the family he now has before Diego smiles at Manny and said: "You're one lucky mammoth, Manny"

"indeed I am. I couldn't ask for better friends and a wonderful family as this" Manny happily nodded, looking around at the herd and family he has.

Sid watches the others from afar where the dark of the night greets him away from the fire light as he sighs sadly, wondering what it would be like to have a family who loved him. Sure, he had the herd but lately Sid feels out of place with the herd, he can't describe it but things have changed over the last six years since the Dinosaur World adventure that Sid caused in the first place.

Diego noticed Sid from afar and asked: "Something bothering you, Sid?"

Sid just looks at the guys before chuckling: "Oh no, no problem here, Diego-buddy"

The guys just looked at Sid for a bit then just shrugged as they individuality called it a night and head inside their home cave except for Buck who was a bit concern for his sloth friend.

The weasel walks up to Sid sitting near a rock who was looking out at the night sky and listening to the gentle and distant noises in the night. The one-eyed weasel soon sat beside his sloth friend, cleared his throat before saying, "Quiet night out there, eh?"

"Yeah," Sid replied with a nod, not looking at the weasel.

The two remained quiet for a while before Buck asked, "So, ya wanna tell your pal your problem?"

"Problem? What problem?" Sid asked with a shrug.

"Ah c'mon now, Sid. I may be bonkers but I can read ya looks even through my patch 'ere," Buck chuckled with his arms crossed.

"I'll believe you on that," Sid also chuckled.

"Now spill the beans. What's eating ya mind?" Buck asked.

Sid didn't really feel comfortable talking about his problems, most of the time, the herd with the exception of Ellie, never even bothered to listen to Sid's problems as most of the problems could be ridiculous but even when it's serious, they don't even have the patience to listen to the rambling sloth about his issues, so why would Buck?

The sloth just changed the subject and said: "Just thinking about something from long ago in the past"

"Oh really? What are ya thinking about?" Buck asked.

"My old friends" Sid answered.

"Your old friends?" Buck curiously tilt his head.

"Yeah, I had friends in the past, I wasn't exactly a loner if that's what you're thinking" Sid explains.

"Nah mate, that's not what I'm thinking at all. I was just curious to hear that" Buck pointed out.

"Oh ... Right" The sloth slowly nodded. "Anyway, when I was a kid, I used to have three great friends; Through all my mishaps they were the nicest bunch of sloths I've ever met in my life"

"Really now? Wot were their names?" Buck questioned the sloth with a smile.

"Well first there was this cheerful blue sloth name Niamh; she is so sweet and joyous that she can make friends with anyone" Sid chuckled.

"Awww she sounds nice" Buck also chuckled.

"Yeah, the others were siblings, Dodger and Carrie; Dodger was a tiny green sloth as a kid, he too was friendly and would also love to do daring things like you, Buck, you'd like him" Sid continued.

"I bet I would; and this Carrie lass, what was she like?" Buck asked.

"She was a bit of a leader of the group. She was strong, fearless and had a bit of attitude but in spite of that, she was also a nice friend to hang out with" Sid spoke about his old friend.

"Well your old friends sound great, what happened to them?" Buck questioned the sloth.

"I...I don't really know; last time I saw them, my family was leaving the place I once called home and they had to stay behind with their families...I haven't even see them since we were kids" Sid sadly replied.

"Sorry to hear that, lad" Buck apologised.

"I do miss them a lot but...I don't think they would remember me anymore" Sid sighed out.

"Look on the bright side, lad, you have a herd that cares about you now including your old pal, Buckminster" Buck attempted to cheer Sid up.

Sid just smiled at the one eyed weasel and softly reply with: "Thanks" then the two friends went back to watching the night sky together before they eventually drifted off to sleep.

The yellow sloth woke up in the morning to find Buck next to him, asleep and snoring loudly; the sloth turns to see the herd is still asleep in the cave as the sun slowly rises to greet the early morning. Sid then quietly decides to go for a quiet breakfast by himself for he went down to his favourite spot where the sweetest berries bloom and a river so clean that the water tastes cool and nice.

Once he reached to the spot where the berry bushes and river bank are, he happily feasts on some of the sweet berries before washing the taste down with the water from the river.

_"Is that who I think it is?"_

_"Dodger, shut up"_

Sid poke his head up from drinking the river when he heard the whispers nearby as he calls out: "Hello?"

_"I'm telling you, Carrie; it's him!"_

_"Will you shut up?"_

"Is someone out there?" Sid called out again.

Suddenly he heard a high-pitched sneeze before he turns to see three shadow figure in a small cave before a stern female voice hisses: "Oh good one, Niamh!"

"S-S-Sorry. M-My nose was i-itchy" Niamh apologised.

Sid slowly approaches the trio in the cave as he calls out: "Don't be scared, I'm not going to hurt you! My name is Sid"

"It is him, I knew it! It's him!" Dodger happily gasped.

"Have we met?" Sid asked the shadow figures.

"No, we haven't" Carrie quickly called out.

"Carrie, shut up!" Dodger firmly scoffed.

Sid then enters the cave before he sees the trio as he slowly begins to recognise the three sloths before him. "Dodger? Carrie? Niamh? Is...Is that really you all?"

"Hi buddy, Long time no see!" Dodger happily greeted.

"H-Hi Sid" Niamh nervously greeted.

Carrie just said nothing as she looks on at her childhood friend from the past who was thrilled and surprised to see them again after so many years.

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**What happens next?**

**Stay tuned to find out!**


	3. Dear Old Friends

**Chapter 2: Dear Old Friends**

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Sid looks on at the sloth trio and immediately recognizes them; it was his dear old friends since he was a small child. Immediately the yellow sloth yells out with joy as Dodger did the same while Niamh yells out in fright of their joyous outcries.

Sid did another joyous cry, Dodger doing another one immediately after and Niamh frightfully yells out again. It went on two more times before Carrie, getting fully irritated, shouted: "OK, OK! We're all happy to see each other, now will you guys please stop screaming?!"

"S-Sorry" Niamh whimpered.

"Sorry" Sid sheepishly apologized.

"Sid! It's you!" Dodger cheered and hugs the yellow sloth.

"Dodger! I can't believe it's you either and…" Sid started before realizing that the last time Sid had seen Dodger, he was smaller than Sid was but now looking up to the tall green sloth, this caught Sid by surprise

"Oh my goodness, Dodger! You're…HUGE!" Sid exclaimed in awe.

"Yep! I had a growth spurt during my teenage years" Dodger chuckled.

"Last time I saw you, you were smaller than I was but now you're tall and…" Sid started again before noticing how strong and muscular his best friend is now. "And holy moly, you're jacked!"

Dodger just laughed and touches his strong arm muscles: "Yeah; I've been working out since you left and now you're looking at the strongest sloth on the planet"

"I'll believe you on that" Sid nodded, impressed by his best friend's physical form.

Niamh blushes at the sight of Dodger showing off his muscular body to his best friend as she turns away, fans her face with her paws, taking deep inhales and exhales as she whimpered quietly to herself: "K-Keep it together, Niamh; he's only a friend…H-He d-d-doesn't love you or anything like t-that"

Sid then sees Niamh and vigorously embraces her, cheering: "It's so wonderful to see you again, Niamh!"

Niamh, unfortunately, exclaims in fright and faints from the shock as Sid looks at the blue anxious sloth in concern.

"Did I do something wrong?" Sid worryingly asked.

"No Sid, Niamh…well…" Dodger started, unsure of how to explain to Sid about the blue sloth.

"What's wrong with Niamh? Last time I saw her she was the most cheerful and friendliest sloth in the village" Sid asked in concern.

"A lot has changed since you last saw us, Sid" Dodger pointed out.

"I don't understand," Sid said, tilting his head in confusion.

"I'll explain the details to Sid, you check up on her" Carrie said to her brother.

The pink sloth pulls Sid to the other side of the small cave as Dodger holds Niamh up and gently tries to wake her up. Carrie then looks at Sid and said:

"Two years after you and your family left, Sid. Niamh's family was slaughtered by a pack of wolves"

"Oh no," Sid gasped out loudly.

"Ever since then, she became so uneasy, so scared of everything…the horrific event traumatized her so bad that it scar her to become what she is now. She can't even speak properly without stuttering and she'll faint at the slightest thing like a mouse or a fallen snow pile from a tree" Carrie explained, sadly eyeing her best friend who eventually came too from her fainting spell

"Poor Niamh…Did you and your folks raised her then afterward?" Sid asked.

"Of course we did, Niamh was like family to us and we didn't want to leave her alone. Even though we couldn't help her overcome her traumatic scars but she's happy and comfortable with us at least" Carrie replied.

"That's good to know" Sid nodded, smiling at the duo in front of him as Niamh eventually recovered from her faint.

"Anyway, I shall be honest with you, Sid. I didn't think I would see you again in my life" The pink sloth added, changing the subject.

"Me too, you look so…so…" Sid started before he suddenly begins to be in a trance by staring at Carrie.

The moment he looked at the pink female sloth closely, Sid was entranced by her beauty. She was no longer the child that he became friends with at the start but has now grown into a beautiful matured female sloth as the yellow sloth's heart begins to beat a bit faster, his skin and fur growing warmer as he slowly began to fall for the female sloth.

Carrie looks at the gazing sloth in confusion before she asked: "So what?"

Sid snapped out his daze and nervously gulped out: "Uh…mature?"

"Really? Is that all?" Carrie asked.

"Would you prefer if I said that you've grown to be so beautiful then?" The nervous male sloth bashfully asked.

"I'll take that then, thanks" Carrie nodded.

Sid lets out a soft exhale of relief that he didn't say anything to make the situation more awkward than it could've been. Suddenly Buck popped up in between the sloths and cheerfully exclaimed:

"There you are, lad!"

The group jumped in alarm, Niamh cried out and cuddles up to Dodger before Buck raised his paws up in defense and added: "Whoa, whoa, whoa! Easy there, mammals; didn't mean to scare ya lot"

"It's alright, buddy," said Sid.

"Um, Sid; who is he?" Carrie asked Sid, eyeing at the one-eyed weasel cautiously.

"Who are they, lad?" Buck asked the yellow sloth.

"Right; let me just think of how to do this" Sid started before clearing his throat: "Guys, this is my friend, Buck. Buck, these are my dear old friends"

"He's your friend?" Dodger asked Sid.

"They're your friends, mate?" Buck asked Sid.

"Yes we're his friends, we met long ago when we were kids" Carrie sighed.

"Ah, I see" Buck nodded before introducing himself to the trio: "The name's Buck! Short for Buckminster, long for Bah!"

Carrie and Niamh looked on at the strange weasel, dumbfounded mostly as Dodger just walked up to the weasel and shook his tiny paw with his big paw

"Pleasure to meet you, Buck; I'm Dodger" Dodger greeted.

"Might I say, lad; you're one tall mammal, nearly tall as a mammoth" Buck replied.

"I get that a lot" Dodger laughed.

The weasel then goes to the nervous blue sloth and took her paw before greeting her in a seductive voice: "And who might you be, ma'am?"

"I-I'm N-N-Niamh" Niamh stuttered, nervous about the one-eyed weasel.

"N-N-Niamh? What a strange name for a lovely sloth" Buck tilted his head in confusion.

"Her name is just Niamh and for your information, she has a stutter" Carrie spoke out for Niamh.

"A-Also, I'm n-not lovely" Niamh added.

"Don't be silly, of course, you are. Any male sloth would be lucky to have you" Buck sweetly complemented Niamh before kissing her soft paw.

Niamh blushes deeply and looks away before Buck turns to Carrie to which the pink sloth hastily spoke out:

"My name is Carrie and I would prefer if you do not kiss my paw, thank you very much"

"Alright then" Buck shrugged.

"Don't mind my sister; she can be a bit pushy for someone with a big brain," Dodger said to Buck.

"At least it's better to have brains than muscles, little brother," Carrie scoffed.

"Love you too, sis" Dodger chuckled.

"So anyway, Buck; what brings you here?" Sid asked the weasel.

"The herd was looking for ya; you wander off early in the morning that we woke up to find you gone" Buck replied.

"You have a herd?" Dodger asked Sid.

"Yeah, we're part of a big herd back at my home" Sid answered.

"A herd with a sloth and a weasel, that's a bit strange" Carrie raised her eyebrow at them.

"Oh, it's more than just us, lass. We have mammals in our herd you wouldn't believe" Buck chuckled.

"Yeah; we have three mammoths, two possums who are twins, one saber-tooth tiger and the two of us" Sid happily explained the herd to his best friends.

The trio looks on in bewilderment, Niamh looked terrified especially at the words, mammoth and saber-tooth tiger. Dodger looks amused at the interesting yet strange herd that Sid and Buck claim to be part of; while Carrie was perplexed about this before she turns her dumbfounded gaze at the weasel.

"Well you're right about one thing; that is a herd I wouldn't believe in"

"D-Did he said mammoths and t-tigers?" Niamh whimpered.

"Yeah but they're harmless, they won't hurt you" Sid assured Niamh

"You're friends with mammoths and a tiger? Awesome!" Dodger said, pretty amused.

"Would you like to meet them?" Sid asked.

"You want us to meet your…herd?" Carrie asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Sure, it'd be fun to get to know you guys with the herd" Buck nodded.

"Alright; I'm interested" Dodger accepted.

"A-As long as Dodger's around t-then I guess I can c-c-come" Niamh stuttered while huddling close to the green sloth.

"Don't worry, Niamh; I won't let anything harm you" Dodger chuckled and pats Niamh on the back.

Carrie soon clears her throat to gain the duo's attention and innocently giggled: "Can I see you two for a moment?"

Carrie soon drags Niamh and Dodger to the other side of the cave before she firmly hissed: "What the heck are you guys doing?"

"We're going to spend time with our old friend, is that a problem?" Dodger calmly asked with his arms crossed.

"Yes, there is" Carrie replied.

"Care to elaborate for us, sis?" Dodger pressured Carrie on.

"A herd with mammoths and a tiger? Come on, would you really believe in that? Especially with that strange weasel, I'm starting to think that Sid has lost his mind" Carrie explained.

"You're kidding me, right?" Dodger scoffed.

"H-He seemed like t-the same sloth we saw the l-last time, C-Carrie" Niamh quietly points out.

"We were kids, time changes people, and besides you know we're still on the run from…you know who" Carrie whispered.

"Carrie, not this again" Dodger groaned out.

"Dodger, that wolf could still be alive and hunting us right at this moment. I saw the shadow that cannot be mistaken to be his last night moving from the forest! That was why we ran out of there and into this small cave where he cannot find us" Carrie tried to reason with the other two.

"But the alpha wolf is dead, Carrie; no one survived the flood that night except for us" Dodger explains.

"Not even our parents and…all of which would never have happened if not for me" Carrie softly sighed.

"What happened to our parents and the tribe was not your fault, Carrie" Dodger attempted to comfort Carrie.

"You don't know that! You weren't there! You were with Niamh when this whole thing went to chaos!" Carrie angrily rejects Dodger's comfort

"Guys please, t-this isn't getting us anywhere" Niamh whimpered.

While the trio argues quietly about should they meet Sid's herd or not, the yellow sloth and one-eyed weasel look on before Buck asked:

"So these are the old friends ya mentioned last night?"

"Yep, that's them" Sid happily nodded.

"They seem nice mammals," said Buck.

"Indeed" Sid nodded before his gaze turns to the beautiful pink sloth as he cannot help but feel warm inside and in a trance of her exotic beauty.

It wasn't long before Buck notices Sid making goo-goo eyes at Carrie and eventually gets the idea before he playfully said while nudging the sloth's shoulder:

"That pink lass is one hot babe, huh?"

"He, he, he; yeah…Wait, I mean, what?" Sid snapped out of his daze.

"This Carrie gal, you like her, don't ya?" Buck asked the male sloth.

"She's just a friend, Buck" Sid sheepishly answered while nervously rubbing the back of his head.

"Alright then" Buck shrugged but not before giving Sid a wink with his one eye.

"Look, we are not wasting time on this; we have to leave now" Carrie hissed to her brother

"Carrie—!" Niamh started.

"No; we cannot risk getting anyone getting in the way of him especially our old friend out of everyone" Carrie angrily points out.

"Alright, alright…we'll refuse" Dodger sighed.

"Thank you" Carrie nodded.

Dodger soon walks back to Sid and Buck before he puts on a smile and then said: "We'd love to meet your herd"

"Really?" Sid happily said.

"Really?!" Carrie loudly spoke out in irritation

"Great! Then it's decided, just follow us and we'll show you the way" Buck gleefully replied.

"Now wait a minute-!" Carrie started.

Suddenly Sid takes Carrie paw and starts leading her back to the herd with Buck as he excitedly said: "You're going to love the herd, Carrie! They may be different than any other herd but we're one big family"

As Sid rambles on, Carrie glared back at her brother with Niamh behind him as she sternly mouths the words to her little brother "I hate you"

Dodger just smirked happily at his sister and mouth back: "Love you too"

"D-Dodger? D-Do you think this herd will be friendly?" Niamh nervously questioned the green sloth.

"If Sid said they are a family together then I see no reason how they can be bad" Dodger responded as they were led back to the herd's cave.

* * *

**What happens next?**

**Stay tuned to find out!**


	4. Meeting The Herd

**Chapter 3: Meeting The Herd**

* * *

As soon as the others reach the herd cave, Buck vigorously called out:

"We're back, mammals!"

"And we brought some company" Sid happily added.

Soon the herd one by one head outside to see the sloth trio with Sid and Buck much to their surprise; even the sloth trio was very surprised to see that Sid was in fact with a herd that has mammoths, possums and a tiger along with Buck too.

"Holy moly! You're not kidding, Sid; this herd really is what you said it was" Dodger said in awe.

"Sid? Who are they?" Manny questioned Sid.

"Guys, These are my best friends" Sid introduced the trio to the herd.

"Best friends?" The herd minus Buck spoke out in confusion.

"That tends to be the reaction back in the old days" Carrie quietly chuckled, shaking her head.

"Yep, we've known each other since childhood" Dodger nodded.

"Childhood?" The twins asked in bewilderment.

Dodger was the first to walk up to the herd and openly greeted them: "It's very nice to meet you all, I'm Dodger"

"Nice to meet you as well" Ellie greeted back.

Dodger noticed Manny and Diego looking at the height of the green sloth much to their bewilderment.

"I see you guys are surprised to see a tall sloth like myself, eh?" Dodger laughed.

"Well yeah, kind of" Manny nervously replied.

"It's alright, I get looks like that a lot" Dodger assured them before he walks up to Manny: "You must be the big mammoth Sid mentioned, Manfred, is it?"

"Yeah but you can call me Manny if you want" Manny nodded. "I am sorry but how is it you're so huge? You're up to the top of my trunk"

"Manny, don't be rude" Ellie firmly hush her husband.

"It's alright, ma'am" Dodger reassured Ellie before turning to Manny and said: "I wasn't always this big. I was smaller than Buck over there as a kid but as I got older, I suddenly begin to grow huge to where I am taller than an average sloth now"

"H-He had a growth s-s-spurt" Niamh pointed out.

"And who's this lady?" Diego asked Dodger.

Dodger and Sid look at Niamh who was behind Carrie, shivering nervously to which the yellow sloth walks up to her and gently says: "It's OK, Niamh; go say hello"

"I-I-I'm not sure I-I-I w-want to do t-this" Niamh stuttered in fear.

"There's nothing to be scare of; you're safe here" Sid assured his anxious friend.

"B-But there's t-t-two big mammoths, a tiger and t-two possums that could be carrying d-diseases; I don't just f-feel comfortable" Niamh stuttered as she looks at the herd.

"Is she OK?" Ellie asked in concern.

"You'll have to pardon Niamh; she has anxiety problems, she's very shy and she finds it very hard to speak to people and trust them" Dodger speaks out for Niamh.

"You poor dear" Ellie said in pity for Niamh.

"Don't be afraid, Niamh; we won't hurt you" Manny assured.

"Come on Niamh, take my paw" Sid comforted Niamh, gently took her paw and leads her to the herd.

As soon as Niamh nervously walks up to Manny and Ellie, she anxiously waves at them, letting out a timid squeak: "H-Hello"

"Hi Niamh" Manny gently greeted

"Nice to meet you, Niamh" Ellie warmly greeted

Diego then walks to Niamh and said "Hello there"

Niamh looks at the saber-tooth tiger and got petrified at the predator in front of her as she screams and then faints

"Oh not again!" Carrie mumbled as she shook her head.

"What happened to her?" Diego asked as he looks at the fainted sloth.

"She looks like she saw a ghost" Buck added as he pokes at Niamh's shoulder a bit.

"Sadly with her anxiety problems, Niamh gets scared and faints at even the smallest of things like spiders or thorns for example" Dodger explained

Just then Niamh slowly comes to from her usual faint spell as she looks at Dodger and asked: "What happened?"

Before Dodger could answer, Peaches appeared in front of Niamh and gleefully cheered: "Hi there!"

Niamh just cries out in fear and huddles near Dodger leaving the young mammoth looking at her confusingly.

"What? What was it something I said?" Peaches asked.

"Well kinda" Sid timidly replied.

"Is she always anxious?" Manny asked Sid.

"No, she used to be the most cheerful sloth I've ever met" Sid shook her head.

"I-I d-did change as the years go by" Niamh whimpered.

"But luckily I watch over her and make sure she stays safe and calm" Dodger replied.

"That is so sweet, are you two in love?" Peaches cutely asked.

"Darling, that's not something you should be asking to others" Ellie points out to her daughter.

"No, we're just best friends" Dodger chuckled.

"Y-Yeah, j-just friends" Niamh nervously nodded.

Soon Manny sees Carrie just staring out at the scenario as if she was looking out for something before Manny called out: "And who might you be, ma'am?"

"Oh I'm sorry, I didn't realize I was going to introduce myself" Carrie sighed.

"Don't be rude, sis" Dodger firmly told off his big sister.

"Sis?" Manny and Diego asked the green sloth.

"Yep, this is my big sister" Dodger nodded.

"Big sister?" The twins asked in disbelief.

"Yep, unfortunately, I didn't get a growth spurt as he did but he's always going to be my little brother" Carrie chuckled.

"Yeah love you too" Dodger teased.

"Guys, last and not least, this is Carrie" Sid introduced Carrie to the herd.

"Carrie? That's a strange name," Manny said.

"How so?" Carrie asked the mammoth with her arms crossed.

"Well, I can just imagine how annoying your name might get when someone goes: 'Hi, Carrie. Would you like me to **_carry_** you up on the hill, Carrie? No? Ok,_** carry**_ on?'" Manny replied.

Dodger let out a chuckle at that, much to Carrie mild annoyance before she shrugged:

"I don't see anyone making fun of your name, Manny, is it?"

"Yes, it is" Manny nodded.

"Manny the mammoth; or is it Manfred the big jolly mammoth or Manny the moody mammoth? Which one was it again, Sid?" Carrie smirked at the bull mammoth.

Manny sternly looks at Sid in annoyance who sheepishly chuckles before Manny said: "I prefer Manny if you don't mind"

"Fair enough" Carrie shrugged.

"This is my Ellie and our daughter, Peaches" Manny introduced his family to the sloths

"I'm Diego" Diego greeted.

"And these are my brothers, Crash and Eddie" Ellie greeted the possums to the sloths.

"Brothers?" The sloth trio asked in confusion.

"Long story, I'll tell you later," Sid said to his friends.

"So what brings you three here?" Diego asked.

"We were just resting by a river nearby when Sid managed to find us and we had a bit of a reunion back there, didn't we buddy?" Dodger said, patting Sid on the back.

"Yeah" Sid nodded.

"He never mentioned you three to us" Manny pointed out.

"Is that so? Why's that, Sid?" Carrie asked with a smug look on her face.

"I...um...I guess I never really thought of mentioning you guys; I mean, I didn't think I would see you again" Sid nervously explained.

"Look it doesn't matter if Sid mentioned us or not; I'm just glad we met again after so many years," said Dodger.

"M-Me too" Niamh nervously giggled.

Carrie eventually didn't want to stick around especially with her fear of an enemy that might be alive as she speaks out: "OK, it was nice to meet you all; Sid, it was nice seeing you again but we gotta go home now"

"What do you mean, go home?" Dodger scoffed.

"W-We doesn't e-even have a home, Carrie" Niamh pointed out.

"What are you talking about?" Ellie asked in confusion.

"We used to live in a village where we and Sid lived once as children but after Sid's family moved away and years later-" Dodger explained.

"Dodger, please" Carrie groaned as she didn't want the herd to know about their tragedy.

"Look they might as well know about why we're homeless; especially to Sid" Dodger argued.

"Fine" Carrie sighed since she cannot even argue with her little brother.

"What happened to our old home?" Sid asked in concern.

"One night, three months ago, a terrible flood occurred that washed away most of the village and many of our tribal people drowned that night" Dodger sadly explained.

"Damn..." Diego said in bewilderment.

"Oh dear," Ellie gasped.

"E-Every one we knew was gone...O-Our people, our n-neighbors...everyone" Niamh whimpered.

"We were all that's left including a sloth that went his own way; Leo was his name but we haven't seen him since that night," said Dodger.

"You poor dears," said Ellie as she felt sorry for the sloth trio.

"Don't be sorry for us; we'll survive" Carrie replied.

Manny looks at the sloth trio and then to Sid as the yellow sloth was very concerned for his dear old friends. From that point, Manny knew exactly what Sid was thinking and what he wants to do for them and for the first time, maybe Manny could allow some new members to join the herd.

"I have an offer for you guys!" Manny announced.

"What?" Dodger said in confusion.

"What do you mean?" Niamh asked.

"How would you three like to join our herd?" Manny asked.

Sid happily gasped out while Dodger and Niamh were surprised by what Manny has just said. But before anything else could be said, Carrie steps in and said:

"Could you excuse us for a moment?"

As soon as Carrie dragged Dodger and Niamh away from the herd, the tall green sloth firmly said: "What's wrong with you?"

"We are not staying with them" Carrie firmly put her foot down.

"What is your problem, Carrie? This could be our chance to have a new start of life" Dodger argued.

"Do you really want to stay with a herd we only just met?" Carrie asked. "And besides what about Niamh? She didn't seem comfortable with them especially that Diego tiger"

"I-I will admit I w-was a bit nervous b-but they seem OK to m-m-me" Niamh points out.

"If Sid is happy and comfortable living with that herd for so long then we can too, I don't think Diego or any of the herd members can hurt us, Carrie" Dodger added.

"We cannot stay with them because if we do, we'll only put them and Sid in danger with the alpha wolf hunting us" Carrie tried to reason with the duo.

"For the love of icicles, Carrie; You have to got to stop stressing about your fears that he is still alive and hunting us. The wolf pack is gone, they drowned like everyone else did that night" Dodger sighed.

"So did our parents and it's my fault they're gone" Carrie firmly snapped.

"No, it's not! You did what you had to do" Dodger firmly refused to believe in Carrie's words.

"You don't know anything about what happened that night" Carrie hissed.

"E-Enough, both of you! I h-hate it when you two a-a-argued" Niamh whimpered loudly.

The siblings stopped as Dodger rubs Niamh's shoulders for comfort before he sighs out to Carrie:

"Carrie, I know you're scared; we are too but I don't wanna live the rest of my life running from place to place with nowhere to go. This could be our only chance to have a new home and be with people that we can rely on"

"Dodger..." Carrie started.

"D-Dodger's right, Carrie; I don't w-wanna run forever...I-I want to stay with the herd, i-it might not be e-exactly what we want b-but at least i-it'll be a cozy home for us" Niamh stuttered.

Sid turns and looks at Manny surprisingly and happily asked

"You would do that, Manny? You would let my dear old friends be part of this herd?"

"Sure" Manny nodded. "I couldn't just leave them all alone after hearing what they've been through; it wouldn't feel right and besides, it'd be nice to have your old friends be part of this family"

"Oh thank Manny! Thank you, thank you, thank you!" Sid happily cheered and hugs Manny's trunk.

"Manny, that's so kind of you" Ellie happily said to Manny.

"You're the best, daddy" Peaches cheered.

"Well if Ellie had friends that need staying, I'd let them stay," said Manny.

"Aww, that's so sweet of you, Manny" Ellie sweetly replied.

The female mammoth then kisses Manny as Crash and Eddie let out a noise of disgust which the herd just ignored.

Carrie eventually had long thought about it and decided that maybe they were right, maybe the alpha wolf is dead and there is nothing to fear anymore. She decided to take the chance of starting anew with her old friend and the herd.

"Alright, we'll join the herd then" Carrie nodded.

"Awesome!" Dodger happily said as Niamh smiles timidly.

"But!" Carrie hissed. "We don't tell them about the wolf pack, ever! Especially about...you know who; got it?"

"Got it" Both Dodger and Niamh agreed before the trio returned to the herd with their answer.

"We'd be delighted to join your herd" Carrie announced.

"Yes!" Sid gleefully exclaimed and hugs his dear old friends.

"Then it's settled; welcome to the herd, you three" Manny warmly welcomed the trio into the herd.

As everyone welcomes the trio to the herd, unbeknown to them, a pair of violet eyes watches them from the shadows within the woods nearby before disappearing into the dark woods.

* * *

**What happens next?**

**Stay tuned to find out!**


	5. The Wolves

**Chapter 4: The Wolves**

* * *

Deep within the misty woods, a brown wolf with black spiky hair on top of her head to her shoulders, which is often confused for hair, speeds through the forest before the canine was eventually halted by a larger grey wolf that towers before her on top of a rock.

"Oh, it's you, Balthazar; What do you want?" The female wolf groaned in annoyance.

"The master grew weary of waiting for you and ordered me to find you; What are you up to, Carlotta?" The large wolf known as Balthazar growled.

"For your information, big guy, I've been looking for our enemies" The female wolf known as Carlotta deviously replied.

"And let me guess, you lost them again; Typical" Balthazar scoffed at Carlotta.

"Not this time, you fool! I found them and I know where they resided" Carlotta growled.

"You, the craziest wolf in the entire world, found them?" Balthazar chuckled.

Carlotta growls and got up close to the big wolf's face from below the rock and hissed:

"Listen here, you dumb mongrel! I am the master's most trusted sidekick and one of the toughest wolves in his pack...So if you want to push me, Think...before you speak"

"Then let me ask you something; where exactly are the sloths now?" Balthazar questioned the female wolf.

"They decided to stay with a herd" Carlotta answered.

"So it didn't occur to you that you can kill the herd and bring the three sloths before the master?" Balthazar asked.

"I would've but unfortunately we have a bit of situation on our paws" Carlotta replied.

"Like what?" Balthazar sighed.

"Would you believe if I told you that this herd that the sloths have resided are not exactly...normal?" Carlotta asked.

"I don't follow you," Balthazar said, tilting his head in confusion.

"I mean, that the herd that they're staying with has animals that you wouldn't believe" Carlotta groaned out.

"Try me" Balthazar shrugged.

"Would you believe if I told you that there are mammoths, a saber, a weasel, two rats and a very ugly sloth in the herd?" Carlotta asked.

Balthazar just stares at Carlotta, dumbfounded, before answering her with: "No; I don't believe you"

"Well I'm telling you, it's herd full of freaks! There's even one very ugly sloth there and what I've heard, they used to be friends with that hideous sloth" Carlotta gagged in disgust.

"If that's the case then this could be a problem for the master" Balthazar replied.

"Indeed...So shall we head back and report to him?" Carlotta suggested.

"Might as well; as I said, he's waiting for you" Balthazar nodded.

Soon the wolves left into the darkness of the deep woods as they started to head back to their master's lair. The wolves soon fled out of the dark woods and started to head towards the mountains.

"Get a move on slowpoke" Carlotta evilly laughed at Balthazar.

"Shut up" Balthazar irritatingly growled.

Eventually, they reached upon a skull-shaped mountain which to the valley was called Forbidden Rock. It was named being the creepiest mountain on the island. The only creatures that called it home were the wolf pack that was after the sloth trio.

When Carlotta and Balthazar approached the top of the mountain, they see a medium-sized yet imitating wolf, waiting for them; His fur was dark grey with brown fur on below the body, his eyes are yellow and red as his teeth are incredibly sharp like razors.

"So you finally decided to come back, Carlotta; you bring good news, I hope" The creepy wolf known as Victor hissed.

"I do, master; I've located where the trio is hiding" Carlotta giggled.

Victor's ears perked up as he then grins evilly before saying: "You do hmm? Well then, start talking!"

"The sloths are residing with a herd now, not too far from where we are and it looks like they're not leaving anytime soon" Carlotta explained.

Victor then smiles evilly and in a deep cold tone he replied

"A herd, you say...Interesting"

"I knew this would please you O'great and handsome Victor" Carlotta seductively replied as she scratches her claw under his chin.

"And I am pleased about this, Carlotta" Victor grinned evilly.

"Yeah but unfortunately we have a bit of situation with this herd" Balthazar smirked at the female wolf.

Victor looks at Carlotta sternly and growled

"And what does my trusted brute follower meant by that?"

"Well...about this herd; it has mammoths, a weasel, two rats, a saber and a very ugly sloth" Carlotta nervously replied.

Victor looks at Carlotta, mirroring Balthazar's expression before, as he then said: "Really? How very odd"

"But I'm sure we can deal with them easily; No one can defeat you whatsoever" Carlotta assured the wolf.

"Of course not! No one crosses with the alpha wolf and lives to tell the tale, not even those three sloths which they will soon learn the hard way" Victor wickedly chuckled.

"So this doesn't strike you as a problem, sir?" Balthazar questioned his master.

"Of course not, you fool! Victor is twice as strong as any creature on the planet" Carlotta snapped at the larger wolf.

"Settle down, Carlotta, he's only being cautious" Victor deviously replied before turning to Balthazar. "It could be a problem, Balthazar; but then again, you know how much I love a challenge"

"Of course, sir" Balthazar nodded.

"That being said, I need both of you to show me where this herd resides," said Victor.

"Are we going to kill them now then?" Balthazar asked.

"No, not exactly yet" Victor replied.

"What do you intend to do then, my dear?" Carlotta wickedly giggled.

"Don't call me that! You know how much I can't stand that sappy crap!" The alpha wolf hissed at Carlotta.

"S-Sorry, Victor" Carlotta nervously apologized.

"What we do for the time being is watch over them; examine what we're dealing with and when the moment is right, we take the trio down one by one! Even if that herd gets in the way, we'll kill them too" Victor explained.

"I'm liking this plan already" Carlotta evilly phrased her master.

"I shall obey, my master" Balthazar stoically replied as he just bowed before Victor.

"Good" Victor nodded before turning to Carlotta: "Now, lead the way, Carlotta"

"Of course, master" Carlotta seductively giggled.

The female wolf soon starts leading the two male wolfs out of Forbidden Rock and started to head back where the herd resides.

* * *

**What happens next?**

**Stay tuned to find out!**


	6. Hanging Out

**Chapter 5: Hanging Out**

* * *

Meanwhile, after the sloth trio settled into their new home, Carrie looks at the bull mammoth and asked: "I suppose you guys were planning to do something today while we came here"

"Actually we're gonna spend a day outside as a family" Manny announced.

"That sounds like nice" Dodger shrugged.

"S-Sure does" Niamh nervously giggled.

"Well then, let's get going, shall we?" said Manny and starts leading the herd

"Come on guys, This is gonna be fun" Sid happily replied as he took Carrie's paw and leads her with the rest.

As the herd and their new members are walking on the path to the flower fields, Sid kept looking at Carrie every five minutes, despite being puffed by walking all day, He never stops smiling at Carrie.

When Carrie notices Sid smiling, she looks at him in confusion and asked: "What's the matter with you, Sid?"

"Nothing, nothing, It's just...I'm glad you guys are part of this herd now" Sid puffed out

"We're happy you guys let us be part of it too" Dodger chuckled.

"M-Me too" Niamh softly added.

"No worries, I mean, you guys are my best friends; I mean, granted, we met as kids and haven't seen each other for a while but you know the saying, some things never change. And besides-" Sid spoke on and on.

"Sid, if you're going to go on about how great your 'best friends' are, you might as well cut to the chase" Manny grumbled.

"Sorry, I'm just saying" Sid shrugged.

"Well you do talk a little too much" Carrie pointed out

"A little? He talks so much, you'll want to block your ears for the rest of your life" Diego scoffed.

Sid looks at Diego deviously and said: "How would you like me to put you on a log, drag it onto the river and watch you panic as you wake up?"

"Do that and you'll be sorry!" Diego growled, glaring straight at Sid

"Nobody's doing anything! Now let's move" Manny angrily sighed out.

Niamh huddles near Dodger, frightened of the saber-tooth tiger while Carrie continues walking as if nothing happened but the tall green sloth stares on at the mammoth and saber, scoffing out: "What's their problem?"

"Nothing, it's just how we are, we argue then we get along" Sid replied.

Ellie looks on at the two new herd members, noticing how uneasy they are a bit before she turns to Peaches and said: "Go with dad honey, I will be right back"

"OK," The young mammoth nodded and follows the others.

The female mammoth soon walks up to Dodger and Niamh with Sid and said to them:

"I'm sorry about Diego's and Manny's behavior, I hope they didn't scare you or make you feel uncomfortable"

"I-It's O-O-OK" Niamh timidly smiled at the female mammoth.

"I did tell you guys about what Diego and Manny could be like" Sid pointed out.

"Even if so, you were only joking like Diego was and yet he snapped at you like that, that doesn't seem right" Dodger replied.

"That's just Diego" Sid shrugged it off. "He may seem hard but inside he's just a feline with a heart of gold like Manny"

Soon they reached a field of flowers as each of the fields had different kinds of flowers around the area. The herd decided to relax there for a while since it is a nice sunny day to do so.

"This place looks beautiful," Dodger said in awe.

"V-Very beautiful" Niamh agreed.

"It's nice, I guess" Carrie shrugged.

The pink sloth watches the herd in her own pace; the mammoths were talking to one another, Buck and Peaches were playing with the possum twins, Diego was just relaxing on a rock, as usual, watching over the scene around him; and as for Sid, he was busy picking flowers with Dodger and Niamh.

To Carrie, being in the herd for a reason made the everything seemed so relaxing and tranquil; yet her mind is rushing with caution and dread that her suspicion of her worst enemy could be watching her right now, taking precious time to allow fear to swallow her mind whole before striking her and everyone down in horrific savage ways.

"Hey, pinkie! Can we show you something?" Crash asked, snapping Carrie out of her troubled thoughts.

"The name is Carrie, little rodent, remember that next time" Carrie sighed out, correcting the possum with Sid, Niamh and Buck. "So what's going on?"

"Just follow us and you'll find out" Buck winked at the sloths

"Goodie! What are we doing?" Sid asked in excitement.

"As long as we're not doing anything that gets us into trouble" Carrie grumbled.

"Oh stop complaining and have some fun" Dodger groaned at his sister.

Soon they were at on top of a large hill before Niamh quietly asked: "So w-what are we g-gonna do here, g-guys?"

"Simple," said Eddie to which Crash points to the three logs that look like mobile sleds and said: "We're gonna slide down this hill"

"Yep, sounds simple enough" Carrie nodded. "Though may I ask, why?"

"Because it's fun" Sid answered.

"Um…A-Are you g-guys sure this i-is OK?" Niamh asked as she was feeling uneasy.

"Of course, blue girl; We done this before" Crash proudly replied.

"T-The name's N-Niamh, please" Niamh stuttered.

"Well, hop on mammals! Let's go for a ride!" Buck cheered as he and the twins hopped on the first log.

"Are you sure you wanna do this, Sid? … Sid?" Carrie asked as she turns to see Sid sitting on the second log.

"Hop on, Carrie! Let's go!" Sid replied in excitement.

Carrie looks at Sid confusingly at the moment then she looks at her tall little brother, hopping on the third log while Niamh nervously waddles to Dodger and whimpers: "I don't k-know, Dodger; this d-doesn't look safe"

"Come on Niamh, It'll be fun" Dodger encouraged the anxious blue sloth.

"D-Dodger" Niamh started.

"Don't worry; I'm not gonna let anything bad happen to you, OK?" Dodger assured Niamh and helps her sit on the log in front of him with his arms wrapped around the blushing sloth.

"We're ready to go!" Eddie announced as they position themselves to the edge of the hill.

"Sid, Are you sure this is safe?" Carrie asked the yellow sloth as she hops on behind him on the log.

"Trust me, Carrie, I know what I'm doing," Sid said before he accidentally pushed the log forward and the two sloths started sliding down the hill, screaming on the way down.

"Here we go!" Dodger cheered as he pushes the log forward, making both Dodger and Niamh slide down the hill too.

"Ready?" Crash asked.

"Ready Eddie! Set!" Eddie nodded.

"LET'S GO!" Buck cheered as the trio slide down after the two logs.

As the group slides down the hill, Sid and Carrie were screaming in alarm on how fast they were going, Dodger was cheering vigorously while Niamh was screaming in fear, nearly passing out a few times as Buck and the twins were just enjoying the ride.

The mammoths and Diego watch as the three logs went sliding down to which Peaches excitedly asks her dad: "Can I go on a ride with them? Please, Dad?!"

"No way; it's too dangerous for you, Peaches" Manny refused.

"You never let me do anything" Peaches firmly huffed.

Eventually, the two logs with Dodger, Niamh, the possums, and Buck stopped but the log with Sid and Carrie kept going until it crashed into a rock as Carrie thump lightly to the ground while Sid was not lucky as he was sent flying into a hole in a tree.

"Now that's gotta hurt" Carrie cringed for her friend as she goes up to Sid who was struggling to get out of the hole from the tree.

"Little help please" Sid called out from the inside of the tree.

"Hang on" Carrie sighed as she pulls Sid out of the tree.

"Thanks, Carrie, that was fun" Sid chuckled.

"Getting your head stuck in a tree is your idea of fun?" Carrie asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Well not really but I was referring to the log ride" Sid sheepishly answered.

"Right" Carrie slowly nodded.

"You know, you changed a bit since we last met" Sid pointed out.

"How so?" Carrie questioned the sloth.

"You used to be adventurous and taking risks, now you just seem...well...not interested in those kinds of things" Sid explained.

"We were kids the last time we saw each other and much of has changed over the last few years" Carrie replied.

"I can see that, you've gotten bigger and more pretty" Sid nodded.

"Wait, you're saying I wasn't pretty in the past?" Carrie asked, dumbfounded.

"No! No! Wait, I mean yes! No! I mean-!" Sid loudly protested.

"Relax, Sid; I'm only teasing you" Carrie laughed.

"You sure still know how to make good jokes" Sid nervously laughed.

"And you're pretty much the same sloth as before" Carrie chuckled at the nervous sloth.

Soon they head back to the others before Manny notices that it was close to evening and said: "Well it's getting dark, we should head back home"

"Lead the way, buddy" Sid exaggeratedly cheered.

The bull mammoth just rolled his eyes and lead the herd and the sloth trio back home; Once they reach the cave, Niamh nervously looks around at the area where night has greeted them a while ago.

"D-Do you think w-we'll be safe in this cave, guys?" Niamh anxiously questioned the herd.

"Don't worry Niamh; We got Diego, Manny, and the great Buckminster here as our protectors!" said Crash.

"Yeah, and we'll use Sid as bait for the hungry predators!" Eddie joked.

"Nooooo! We're not using Sid as bait!" Peaches sternly whine at the twins while holding her uncle Sid.

"No one is using anyone as bait," Ellie said, firmly shaking her head at the twins.

"Sid, why don't you light a fire for us?" Manny suggested.

"OK! I can do that" Sid winked at the mammoth.

"Wait! You can make a fire?" Carrie asked.

"Yeah, sure I can! Why?" Sid shrugged.

"Dude, that's awesome!" Dodger happily replied.

"How on e-earth can you do t-t-that?" Niamh questioned Sid.

"Let me show you guys how it's done," said Sid as he grabs a few sticks and put them together.

Sid then grabs two stones and starts: "First you grab two stones that look the exact shape then you scrape them together as fast as you can and then sparks will light out and you must make sure that the sparks hit the firewood then once you're done, you blow the firewood and..." as soon as the yellow sloth scrapes the rocks together, sparks fly into the firewood and as embers start to lift a bit up, Sid then blows at the firewood and soon the fire was lifted up perfectly.

"Ta-Da! We have a fire!" Sid triumphantly exclaimed.

"Wow," Niamh gasped.

"That's...That's actually amazing, Sid" Carrie responded, being truly astounded by Sid's work.

"Yeah well, this is why I refer to myself as the Fire King or Lord of the flame" Sid boasted as he strikes a heroic pose.

"Cool," Dodger gave Sid a thumbs up with his claw.

"Hey Lord of the flame, your tail's on fire again" Manny points out.

Sid turns around to see that his tail was on fire before jumping up and running around, screaming while Crash and Eddie bursts into laughter and the others try to stop the flames on Sid's tail.

As Sid ran out of the cave with his burning tail, Peaches glared at her uncle possums and snapped: "It's not funny!"

"I got this" Carrie simply said as she quickly rushes to Sid outside and as fast as she could take Sid to the lake where they met this morning, pushes the yellow sloth into the water as the fire on Sid's tail was extinguished.

"Sid! Are y-you alright?!" Niamh whimpered in concern.

"I'm fine!" Sid loudly coughed.

"Buddy, your tail was on fire; how is that fine?" Dodger asked as he gets Sid out of the lake.

"I'll be OK" Sid assured his friends as he tries to sit down but flinches in pain

"Let me look at your tail," Carrie said, checking Sid's tail as the trio saw that it was burnt.

"Your tail is red as heck, it looks very sore" Dodger spoke to Sid, deeply in concern.

"I'm fine, really I am, I just-" Sid protested as he tries to sit back down on the log but jumps up, yelping loudly in agony.

"Sid, stop moving! Your tail is burnt; wait right here" Carrie firmly spoke to the yellow sloth.

Carrie soon runs off to find something to help Sid while Dodger and Niamh comforted Sid when the herd eventually catches up to them and saw what happened.

"Is Sid alright?" Manny asked.

"His tail is burnt, how do you think Sid is?" Dodger sighed.

"Man, that was so funny!" Eddie laughed.

"Yeah and awesome at the same time" Crash laughed as well.

"It's not funny you guys, Sid's in pain!" Ellie sternly replied

"Oh come on, Ellie; it was a little funny" Manny chuckled a bit.

"You boys have a strange sense of humor" Ellie replied.

Carrie then returns with a block of ice and a big leaf in her hands as she said:

"Now I'm not an expert on how to treat burns and all that, but it doesn't look that bad so I'll add ice to the tail for a bit before wrapping it up with this big leaf as a bandage. Now hold still, this may hurt a little"

As soon as Carrie puts ice on Sid's burnt tail, the yellow sloth yelped in pain to which Carrie sighed: "I did warn you, now hold still"

"Just hang in there for us, OK?" Dodger comforted his best buddy.

Eventually, Carrie then wraps the tail with the big leaf as a bandage for Sid before Niamh softly asked: "H-How d-do you feel now?"

"I'll live" Sid groaned a bit as he got up.

"Now I hope you guys apologize to Sid for laughing at him like that" Dodger firmly said to the possums.

"Alright, alright, we're sorry" Eddie apologized.

"Yeah, sorry Sid" Crash also apologized.

"It's OK, you know me, I don't hold grudges" Sid smiled at the twin possums.

"Why? Cause you're too lazy?" Diego teased

Sid rolls his eyes and replies "Yes"

"Thought so" Diego chuckled.

"You're pretty soft for a saber" Carrie smirked at Diego.

"Wait, what?" Diego asked in confusion.

"You know, despite being a bloodthirsty predator, you're pretty much just a soft person on the inside and I admire that," Carrie answered.

Diego scoffed with a grin and got in front of Carrie before he said with a smirk, "For your information, I'm not soft. I happened to be a remorse assassin."

"Oh really?" Carrie asked with a grin.

"Really," Diego chuckled with a sadistic growl.

Carrie grinned deviously before she got into a fighting position and whispered loudly, "Come at me then!"

The two of them stand in silence as the others watched in alert before Diego, though a killer on the prey for food, didn't want to hurt someone like Carrie since he somewhat admired her attitude before he cleared his throat and said, "I don't fight girls."

"Then I stand corrected," Carrie giggled, petted Diego's head and walks off back to the cave.

"She's really something, isn't she" Sid chuckled.

"She has guts, I'll give her that" Diego agreed.

"Let's go back now, it's getting really dark here," said Manny before the herd starts to head back to the cave for the night.

* * *

**What happens next?**

**Stay tuned to find out!**


	7. Morning

**Chapter 6: Morning**

* * *

Meanwhile from the other side of the hill where the herd cave resides, Victor and his minions watch over the herd that the sloth trio decided to make home ass Victor evilly chuckled.

"Well, well, you were right, Carlotta; this is an unusual herd"

"They're asleep now, let's get them!" Carlotta hissed and was about to go off.

"Don't be foolish, woman! Remember! We stick to the plan" Victor growled, having stopped Carlotta from charging.

"Sorry master" Carlotta nervously apologized

"Now once that pink sloth is either all alone or with any of those weaklings of the herd, we attack," said Victor.

"Hopefully that won't take forever" Balthazar added.

"I don't expect Carrie to stick around with a crowd for long as I've seen her in the past; she's known as a lone wolf, works alone and eventually she'll die alone" Victor evilly chuckled before the wolf pack bides their time and wait.

* * *

The next morning Carrie was asleep at the back of the cave as she was tossing and turning in her sleep, suffering from a nightmare. She dreams that she was in a place where the area was dark and has a gloomy atmosphere.

"Where am I?" Carrie whispered to herself.

As she walks in the darkness, She can hear voices whispering that made her look around cautiously; suddenly she stops to see that she is facing the edge of a cliff where nothing but water seems to cover the rest of the path that the pink sloth was on.

Horror comes to Carrie when she realizes that she was back at her village as it was still flooded from the incident not too long ago. She was about to turn away when the voices return, growing from whispers to cries of help; the pink sloth looks back to the source of the voices before she can see the faces of the villagers and her family appearing to her from below the flooded waters, crying and pleading for help as they variously sink to the bottom.

Carrie's breathing shudders and rapidly went faster as her body went frozen in fear as she cannot help but gasped out: "I-I'm sorry, I'm so sorry"

Just then two giant claws seize Carrie from the water, making her scream out in terror and looking down to see Victor snarling at her before he pulls her down in the water; Carrie suddenly then woke up, panting heavily with glances around her surroundings, see that she is still with the herd who was still soundly asleep.

"It was just a nightmare, just a nightmare" Carrie shudders to herself, rubbing her face with her paws.

The pink sloth quietly walks outside of the cave, seeing the early sunrise greeting her as she yawns out: "At least I slept till morning this time but that dream..."

Carrie looks back at the cave before thinking to herself: "This herd is nice but what if he's still alive? What if my fears are true? I can't risk them getting hurt because of me...not like my people...not like my parents"

"Carrie?"

The pink sloth jumped before seeing Sid next to her as she sighed out: "Don't sneak on me like that"

"Sorry" Sid yawned.

"Can I help you with anything?" Carrie asked the yellow sloth.

"Well, I just woke up and saw you up; is everything OK?" Sid questioned Carrie.

"I'm fine, I'm just an early bird" Carrie shrugged, not wanting to tell Sid about her problems.

The female sloth notices Sid was yawning and still sleepy as she sighs: "Look, if you're still sleepy then go back to sleep"

"I would but-" Sid started when his belly starts growling that even Carrie can hear it.

"I take it that you're hungry?" Carrie asked with a lifted eyebrow.

"Yep," Sid sheepishly nodded.

Suddenly Buck pops out in between the sloths and said: "Well then, let's find something to eat"

"Buck? How long have you being there?" Carrie asked, dumbfounded.

"Not long, just got up" Buck shrugged. "I'm an early bird like you too, lass"

"Right" Carrie nodded before whispering to Sid: "So Sid, what's the story about the weasel's eye patch?"

"Long story; you can ask Buck later" Sid replied.

"Well, you two coming or wot?" Buck asked the sloths.

"Shouldn't we wait for the herd to wake up first?" Carrie asked.

"I'm sure the herd will get their breakfast when they wake up" Buck replied.

"Shall we, Carrie?" Sid happily asked.

"Well...alright" Carrie shrugged and decided to get something to eat with her friend and Buck.

As the three mammals head off to find someplace where they can eat; the whole time they were walking was nothing but silence as the morning scenario fills the area with birds chirping the gentle breeze from the trees and their own feet shuffling on the snow.

The pink sloth then broke the silence with a question to Sid: "So Sid, What do you like to eat?"

"Umm...Leaves, berries, and pine-cones! How about you?" Sid answered.

"I don't mind berries and mangoes," said Carrie.

"That's nice" Sid nodded before turning to Buck: "How about you, Buck? What's your favorite food to start the day?"

"Eggs" Buck replied.

"Eggs?" Both Sid and Carrie replied, dumbfound.

"Wot? I'm a weasel, don't judge me" Buck scoffed.

After a moment of awkward silence, Carrie and Sid catch up with Buck before the female sloth asked:

"Hey, Sid? Do you ever...dream of something that always haunts you in the night?"

"No, why?" said Sid.

"Well..." Carrie started when suddenly they heard a loud snap of a twig nearby.

They look around to see nothing near them but Buck sniffs his nose around before he growled out: "Get close to me"

"Why?" Sid asked.

Just then, the trio heard a low deep growl that echoes near the scenery they were in. The trio huddled together, glancing around the area to see who is there.

"Mammals...we're not alone" Buck lowly grunted.

"Funny, I was about to say that" Sid whimpered, trembling in fear.

"Who's there?!" Carrie demanded.

Suddenly they heard deep devious laughter as the mammals turn around to see a grey and brownish wolf standing on top of a rock in front of them. Carrie immediately recognizes the wolf as she gasped out in horror: "YOU!"

"Who are you?" Sid nervously asked.

The wolf just grinned evilly as he reveals his sharp claws to the trio and wickedly spoke:

"Allow me to introduce myself...I am Victor; the alpha wolf"

* * *

**What happens next?**

**Stay tuned to find out**


	8. The Ambush

**Chapter 7: The Ambush**

* * *

The trio stands guard, gazing at the wicked wolf who's evil grin shows upon the trembling Sid, the defensive Buck, and the bewildered Carrie

"So...Carrie, we meet again" Victor wickedly chuckled.

"Carrie? W-Who is this wolf?" Sid whimpered to Carrie.

Carrie didn't answer but looks at Victor with fear and anger that her worst enemy is still alive after all this time since the flood that destroyed the village and Victor's pack three months ago.

"You seem surprised to see me, my dear..." Victor coldly grinned at her.

"Who in devil's name are ya?" Buck cautiously questioned the alpha wolf.

"Who in devil's name am I? Did you not just hear me a minute ago?!" Victor growled in annoyance.

"What do you want with us?" Sid whimpered.

"Not you insignificant creature" Victor hissed at Sid who gulped before the wolf turns his glare at Carrie. "I'm here for her, isn't that right, my dear?"

"Carrie? What is he on about?" Buck asked the pink sloth.

Carrie did not answer as her mind rushes with so much anxiety and anger, the wolf that slaughtered her parents and many other of her people, stands before her and she knew he means to finish off what he started whist might as well kill the herd while the alpha wolf is here. She picks up a big stick on the ground and points it at Victor.

"I should've known you'd survive the flood! I'm warning you now if you hurt any of my friends or the herd, I'll make you regret it" Carrie angrily threatened the alpha wolf.

Suddenly the trio heard high pitch cackling before they notice Carlotta who walks up to her leader, wickedly laughing out: "She thinks she can hurt you? That is so cute"

"Who's the old hag?" Sid loudly whispered to Carrie.

"Hey! I'm not an old hag, you filthy ugly twit" Carlotta furiously exclaimed, making Sid yelp in fear.

"Calm yourself, Carlotta. There's no need to get upset with vermin like him" Victor harshly chuckled.

"So you survive too then, Carlotta," Carrie said, glaring at the she-wolf.

"Carrie, is it? How's mommy and daddy? Still being ripped to pieces?" Carlotta mocked the pink sloth.

"You sadistic mongrel!" Carrie growled and was about to attack Carlotta when Buck and Sid stopped her from getting hurt.

"Oh no, By all means, boys; do let her go, I don't mind doing the same thing to her as we did to her parents" Carlotta laughed out loud.

"Let go of me!" Carrie demanded Sid and Buck.

"Are you nuts, lass? Even I know that going straight at these wolves is a bad idea" Buck responded.

"Yeah and besides, you'll get yourself killed" Sid exclaimed, trying to prevent harm on Carrie.

"He's right, you creatures are just ants, compared to us" Victor deviously points out.

"Carrie!"

Suddenly they saw Dodger rushing at them and standing in a position to defend his sister and friends. Soon he, too, was shocked to see Victor and Carlotta alive before gasping out: "It can't be..."

"I told you so" Carrie angrily hissed at her brother.

"Well, well...Dodger, is it? You're still the tall freak we last saw" Victor wickedly sneered.

"Funny; where's the rest of your crew? Still underwater?" Dodger mocked with a sly grin.

Victor only chuckled coldly: "I'm going to enjoy tearing you two apart"

"Sid, Buck! Take Carrie and get out of here now!" Dodger said to the two mammals behind Carrie and himself.

"What? No! YOU leave with them" Carrie refused.

"I'm not going to let them hurt you, sis" Dodger argued.

"And I don't want them to hurt you" Carrie argued back.

"Stop fighting, you guys; we have to stick together" Sid exclaimed.

"What is g-going on h-here?"

The others saw Niamh waddling to them, unaware of the wolves in front of her until she turns to them, recognizing them before freezing in fear and screams out in horror. Victor covers his ears while sitting down and yells out: "ENOUGH!"

Niamh abruptly stops screaming and the alpha wolf gazes at Sid and hisses: "You, the ugly one, Who are you?"

"Sid the sloth. Hello, nice to meet you" Sid squeaks out to Victor.

"Well that ought to break the ice, thanks very much, Sid" Carrie sarcastically groaned.

"Alright then, **_Sid_**, I shall do my best to make this very simple for you" Victor started. "I have no business with you and your little...rodent friend here; So I shall be brief by demanding you to hand over the three sloths and you and the rat won't be hurt"

"Ya mutts can go ahead and kiss my ass" Buck angrily exclaimed.

"Sheesh, not a pleasant way to say no" Carlotta scoffed.

"Well Sid, what will it be? Is it them or your life?" Victor growled at the yellow sloth.

Sid looks at his old friends and Buck before he gulps and answers with fear but honesty: "I'll level with you that I am rather afraid of you both and I don't want to be killed. That be said, I am not going to hand over my dear old friends to you"

"Dear old friends?" Carlotta scoffed.

"Y-Yeah, I was friends with them long ago in the village. I was out of the village long before you guys came and you know, funny story about why I wasn't in the village for years with my family and all that-" Sid stuttered as he blabbers away.

"Sid!" Carrie stops the yellow sloth with a smirk on her face, patting Sid's shoulder. "I don't think they even care at this point"

"So you dare refuse me, sloth?" Victor growled.

"I...I guess" Sid squeaked.

Victor's glare darkens before he deeply growled out: "Have it your way..." He turns to Carlotta and dangerously adds: "Carlotta...Kill them"

"With pleasure master" Carlotta giggled before she begins to walks menacingly to the sloths: "Now...which one of you shall I tear apart first?"

"Can't we...um...talk about this, guys?" Sid stutters whilst smiling nervously.

"I don't think so" Victor grinned coldly at the prey.

"Run!" Sid shouted and together, Buck and the sloths fled for their lives.

"After them!" Victor shouted before both Carlotta and the alpha wolf chase after them.

The gang fled as fast as they can when suddenly Balthazar lunges forward in front of them, blocking their way as Niamh screams out loudly in fright.

Back at the campsite, Manny, Ellie, Peaches, and the twins were finishing their breakfast when they heard a familiar scream.

"What was that?" Peaches whimpered.

"That sounded like Niamh!" Ellie exclaimed.

Diego approaches the group and asked: "You guys heard that too"

"You don't think there are dangerous animals nearby" Crash asked in fear.

"I hope Buck is OK," Eddie said in concern.

"It sounds like our friend's in trouble" Manny agreed.

"Well, what are we waiting for? Let's go!" Ellie cries out and as Ellie, the twins and Peaches rush off.

"Ellie, Peaches! Wait!" Manny called out before he and Diego go with the girls and the twins.

The gang was surrounded by the wolf trio as Buck growled defensively for the sloths:

"Stay close, mammals! We can fight them"

"How do you like to be eaten, weasel? As a snack or dessert?" Carlotta mocked the weasel.

"How about I trim that hideous hair-do of yours, mongrel?" Buck mocked back.

Carlotta snarls at the weasel before the two of them begin to fight each other vigorously. Dodger lunges at Balthazar and begins to fight him as they roll down a small hill within the forest.

"Dodger!" Carrie shouted out in fear for her little brother.

"Well, I guess that leaves you three with me" Victor sneered at the remaining mammals.

"Sid. I'm not going to argue with you on this! Take Niamh with you and get out of here" Carrie spoke to Sid.

"W-We're not leaving you behind" Niamh whimpered.

"Don't worry about me, Niamh; just go" Carrie replied.

"Yes, pay attention to the future corpse" Victor mocked Niamh.

"You shut your muzzle" Carrie threatened Victor.

"Or what?" Victor smirked at the pink sloth. "What are you going to do? Drown me underwater?"

Carrie turns back to Sid and snapped: "Sid, take Niamh and go now!"

"I'm not leaving you to do this alone!" Sid refused.

"Sid, this is not up to debate! This is serious!" Carrie argued.

"I'm staying with you!" Sid still refused.

"I don't want you to get hurt, Sid!" Carrie cried.

"I don't want you to get hurt as well, Carrie!" Sid argued.

"I don't know what to do" Niamh cried out whilst panicking.

"It doesn't matter what happens. I'll just kill you three, one by one" Victor growled.

"Sid! For the last time! Go now!" Carrie shouted, hoping to get Sid and Niamh away from the wolf.

Sid looks at Carrie, afraid for her life as he knew there was no convincing her otherwise before he and Niamh begin to rush back to the campsite to warn the others.

"Sending your friends away to fight me yourself? How suicidal of you" Victor coldly scoffed.

"I'll make you pay for what you've done to my family and my people" Carrie growled.

"How hilarious. Tell me something, Carrie. Are your parents disappointed in you?" Victor sneered at the pink sloth.

"What do you mean by that?" Carrie demanded, gripping her stick tighter in her paws.

"Well they must be since you're the one who got your people and themselves killed that night" Victor coldly growled, causing Carrie to yells out angrily and battles with the alpha wolf.

Buck continues dodging Carlotta's swipes and lunges as he was playing around with the crazy wolf. He jumps into a log with a few holes in it, pokes his head out of one of them and laughs: "Catch me if you can, mongrel"

Carlotta growls and attempts to hit the weasel with her paw but keeps on missing as Buck plays about with Carlotta like a Whack-A-Mole game to which Carlotta was losing at it.

"Stay still, you little rat!" Carlotta angrily shrieked out.

"OK, I'm staying still" Buck teased, waving at Carlotta.

Carlotta swipes his paws at Buck who dove his head back into the log and pops out of another hole. "Ah, c'mon lass. Even a dung beetle can catch me" Buck laughed.

Carlotta exclaims in fury and grabs Buck with her paws, exclaiming out: "Got you!"

But when she opens her paws up, however, the weasel was not in her grasp as she stuttered: "W-What?!"

The one-eyed weasel pops out of another hole, pokes Carlotta in both eyes and taunts "Pop goes the weasel!" laughing his head off as he doves back in the log again.

"Why you-!" Carlotta viciously growled and smashes open one of the holes then sticks her head to get the weasel.

Only to find that Buck was already out of the log; he whistles for Carlotta's attention before he realizes that Carlotta's head was stuck in the log and couldn't get out. "Looks like you're being stumped" before he laughs out loud again.

"Shut up! I'll get you, rodent!" Carlotta yelled out, trying to pull her head out of the log.

Buck notices that the log was closely near the edge of a long steep hill that leads out of the woods before he said in a feminine voice: "Please keep your paws and head inside the log at all times, Enjoy the ride!" And with a hard kick of the weasel's feet, the log begins to slowly bend backward and starts to roll down the hill with the shrieking she-wolf rolling down with it.

"Weaselled my way out of that one" Buck said with a grin on his face.

Suddenly he heard Carrie's cries and grunts of her fighting Victor before adding: "I better help the others before it's too late" then starts rushing back up to Carrie.

Dodger continues his fight with Balthazar who pins him down and grunts: "This doesn't have to end gruesomely. Just surrender"

"So you can let your master kill us? I don't think so" Dodger firmly spat at Balthazar.

"Don't make me hurt you" Balthazar warned.

"You already had harmed us when you and your pack murdered my family and people!" Dodger yelled.

Balthazar looks down a bit, the guilt of his actions in the past by the commands of Victor tortures his conscience daily especially when being blamed for things he never meant to do to keep himself from being murdered by Victor.

"You have no idea what you are dealing with" Balthazar grunted.

Dodger attempts to attack Balthazar but the giant wolf pins the giant sloth down again and his bare teeth were itches away from the sloth's throat when he suddenly raised his paw at Dodger but at the last second, slams it down on the ground, itches from his face before leaning closer to the sloth and growled: "You want to survive? Stay out of the way"

And with that, Balthazar got off Dodger and fled away from the green sloth who got up in confusion and mutters: "What the heck was that all about?"

Just then he heard his sister's cries of pain and begins to run back to his sister as fast as he could.

Meanwhile, Sid and Niamh continue rushing back to the campsite when they heard Carrie's cries. "C-Carrie!" Niamh whimpered out.

Sid knew he couldn't let Carrie die as much as it scares him to face the wicked alpha wolf, he gulps then begins to run back into the woods, much to Niamh's confusion and worry.

"Sid?! Where a-are you going?" Niamh cried out.

"Find the herd, Niamh. I'm going back for Carrie" Sid called out.

"Sid! C-Come back!" Niamh cries out again.

"Niamh!"

The blue panicking sloth turns to see the rest of the herd rushing up to her as Manny asked; "What's going on? Why did you scream?"

"Where's Sid and the others?" Diego asked.

"T-T-They...I...W-Wol-We're..." Niamh panted and stuttered.

"Mammals!"

The herd soon sees Buck approaching them before the weasel then said: "We got a big problem! Some mangy wolves are after our sloth friends"

"Wolves?!" The herd reacted in alarm.

"T-That's what I t-t-trying to say" Niamh whimpered.

Suddenly they heard Sid crying out for Carrie, much to Peaches fear for her sloth uncle. "Uncle Sid!" She cried out and as fast as she could, she begins to bolt off into the woods.

"Peaches! No!" Manny shouted.

"Peaches! Come back!" Ellie also shouted.

"F-For a mammoth, she can r-r-run fast!" Niamh stuttered.

"Come on! We got to help the others!" Buck responded and followed Peaches while calling out for her to stop.

Victor smacks Carrie down on the ground before the pink sloth ties an icicle on her stick and points it at Victor, growling: "Come any closer and you're finished"

"Ooooh...You talk with such bravery for a sloth" Victor mocked the pink sloth.

"Carrie!"

Carrie, to her surprise, saw Sid next to her, panting heavily from the running as she exclaimed: "What the heck are you doing?! I told you to go back to the herd"

"I know but I was so worried about you! I didn't want to leave you" Sid cried out.

"How adorable" Victor teased. "But it matters not to me that you're here, my floppy green thing, I'll just kill both of you"

"Sid. If you're my friend at all then please, get out of here while you still can" Carrie angrily pleaded the yellow sloth.

"Uncle Sid! Carrie!"

The sloths soon saw Peaches running up to them as she asked: "Are you two OK?"

"You brought your niece with you?!" Carrie exclaimed, turning on Sid.

"I didn't bring her with me!" Sid exclaimed back.

"I followed Uncle Sid" Peaches exclaimed.

Victor smiles wickedly as he took this chance to lunge at Carrie before Sid notices Victor and in a panic, he took the icicle spear from Carrie and swings it at Victor, hoping to whack him away. But instead, the sharp icicle slashes Victor's left eye from the top to the bottom of the eyelid. Victor howls and screams in agony, Peaches covers her eyes with her trunk in disgust as Carrie was in shock of what Sid has done.

Blood was leaking from the gash on Victor's eyelid which was lucky for the alpha wolf in a way because the icicle didn't slash his eyeball and was still able to see but the pain and blood were making it harder to open his left eye.

"Sid..." Carrie gasped out.

"I...I didn't mean to do that" Sid whimpered.

Victor, in rage, growls dangerously at the trio and decided to take his rage on the pink sloth in front of him first and lunges quickly at her again.

"Carrie!" Sid screamed.

Sid, suddenly out of nowhere, lunges at Carrie and wraps his body around her to protect her from the deranged wolf who suddenly slashes Sid's back gruesomely, giving Sid a big gash on his back.

Sid screams in agony, Carrie sharply gasps in horror before Peaches screams out in fear for her sloth uncle. Just then Manny and Ellie appeared and trumpet at the alpha wolf, just as Diego appeared and roars at Victor too. The villain soon sees everyone around the trio and knowing that as much as he hates to finally admit but for the first time, he was outmatched, causing Victor to back off slowly.

"Foolish creatures...Do you think you've won? This is only the beginning. I shall withdraw but this is far from over!" Victor growled.

He turns to Carrie and snarled out: "I will get you, my dear" and then turns to Sid who was leaning against a rock then dangerously adds:

"And as for you...Sid...You have made a big mistake, For what you've done to me today. I will take great pleasure in killing you if it's the last thing I'd ever do!"

And just like that, Victor fled out of the woods and away from the herd for now...

* * *

**What happens next?**

**Stay tuned to find out!**


	9. The Aftermath

**Chapter 8: The Aftermath**

* * *

The herd watches as Victor fled until he was out of sight, Peaches looks at her uncle in concern and softly spoke his name. Carrie angrily turns to Sid and scolds out loudly:

"One thing, Sid! I ask you to do one thing and you didn't listen"

"What did you do this time, Sid?" Manny angrily scolded Sid as well.

"I didn't...start this" Sid groaned a bit.

"I ask you to take Niamh and get to safety but you chose not to listen. Why do you choose not to listen to me?!" Carrie rant at the yellow sloth.

"Welcome to our world," Diego said to Carrie.

Dodger and Niamh soon notice Sid's back was bleeding as Ellie makes Peaches turn to her and in stern concern, she scolds on her daughter: "Peaches, what on earth were you thinking back there?! You've could get yourself killed! Your father and I were so worried about you back there!"

"I'm sorry Mom, I was just worried for Uncle Sid" Peaches apologized.

"Don't you ever run off from us like that again; Do you understand me, young lady?" Manny furiously scolded her daughter.

"Yes...Sorry, daddy" Peaches shamefully apologizes to her father.

"Now will someone tell me what the heck is going on?!" Manny exclaimed in confusion.

"I was about to stop Victor myself when your friend here got in the way" Carrie firmly explained.

"I was trying...to help you" Sid panted a bit.

"I didn't need your help, Sid. You only just got in my way" Carrie shook her head.

"Guys" Dodger started but the herd and his sister didn't listen as Carrie continues ranting:

"See, this is just like you, Sid. Even as a kid back at the village, when someone asks you to do something, it's like it goes in one ear and out the other"

"Exactly" Manny agrees with Carrie.

"Guys" Dodger spoke again a bit louder.

"If you'd listen to me in the first place, Sid. Victor would've been defeated but no, not only you put both of us in danger but you nearly got Peaches hurt" Carrie angrily rants on in frustration that she didn't get the chance to avenge her family by killing Victor.

"And you wonder why Manny doesn't let you babysit Peaches" Diego sarcastically spoke to the sloth.

"Guys!" Dodger incredulously repeated himself, getting frustrated too at the other's insight to see Sid's discomfort and pain.

"What?!" Carrie snapped at Dodger.

Niamh soon waddles to Sid and shows the gash on Sid's back, making the herd gasp in horror at Sid's injury. Sid looked at Carrie sadly and said: "I couldn't allow Peaches or yourself to be harm by Victor. I took the hit when he lunged at you, remember?"

"Is this true, Carrie? Or were you just ranting on like an idiot to forget about that part?" Dodger sternly snapped at his sister.

The herd looks at Carrie in confusion before she looks at the injured sloth and softly sighs out: "Despite what I said; It's true. Sid protected me from Victor and took the attack that was meant for myself"

"Oh, Sid" Ellie gasped out, worried about the state her sloth friend was at now.

"Are you alright, lad?" Buck asked as he heads to the sloth.

"I don't know..." Sid groans as he tries to get up but soon cries out in pain as the gash on his back was still bleeding and stinging the sloth in agony.

Buck and Dodger gently hush the whimpering sloth and lies him on his stomach on the snow

"Is he going to live?" Crash asked Buck.

"Will he be alright?" Eddie also asked, each expressing their concerns for the sloth.

"The gash is not too fatal and will heal in time, thankfully. But for now, we need to stop the bleeding and tend to the wound; less it putrefies and infects Sid" Buck explained.

"This is all my fault, I'm so sorry" Peaches apologized as she felt very guilty about what has happened.

"It's not your fault, darling. Just promise me you will not do something risky like that again" Ellie soothed her daughter.

"I promise, mommy" Peaches sniffed.

"You're safe now, sweetie" Manny comforted his daughter.

"If I haven't run off, Uncle Sid would be OK!" Peaches depressingly replied.

"Don't blame yourself, Peaches" Sid groaned in pain. "This isn't your fault, OK?"

"OK, Ellie! Find the biggest leaf you can find to help bind Sid's wound up; Niamh! Eddie! Crash! Go get some water!" Dodger took charge of the situation.

"How will do they do that?" Manny asked.

"They can get a coconut shell or get a turtle shell or...Please get some water and quick before Sid bleeds to death!" Dodger exclaimed as Ellie, Niamh and the twins ran off to do their tasks.

"And what of the rest of us?" Diego asked.

"I want you and Manny to keep an eye out to see if any more wolves or dangerous animals are nearby," said Dodger.

"Sure thing" Diego nodded as he kept an eye out for predators that may be lurking nearby.

"Peaches, stay with your father" Dodger spoke to the young mammoth.

Peaches nodded and go to her father who watches Sid worryingly. Carrie walks up to Dodger and asked: "May I help in any way?"

Dodger firmly looks at her sister, disgusted how she selfishly berated their best friend instead of thanking him for saving her life back there while protecting Peaches too. He then scoffed: "You done more than enough...Just keep an eye out with the others, that's all you can do for us"

Carrie felt a bit hurt by Dodger's harshness but understands why; She then turns away and keeps an eye out with Diego.

"Just hang in there Sid, You're gonna be fine" Dodger comforted Sid as he gently pats his old friend on the head to calm him down.

"I'm sorry I got you guys into this mess" Sid apologized.

"Sid, you didn't do anything wrong" Buck reassured the sloth.

"Why did you do that Sid? Why did you come back to me? Most importantly how could you let Victor attack you like that when he charged at me?!" Carrie softly asked.

"Isn't it obvious, Carrie? It's what you do in a herd" Manny answered for Sid as he turns to the yellow sloth and adds: "You look out for each other"

Just then Ellie and Niamh return with two leaves before Niamh and the twins return with the water in two coconut shells. Ellie then hands Buck the leaves, One small enough to clean Sid's wound and the other big enough to wrap around Sid's back to belly.

"OK Sid, I need you to stay still for a moment" Buck instructed Sid who got prepared to treat Sid's gash. "Alright, this will sting. So be strong, lad"

Buck and Dodger took the small leaves from Ellie, dunks it in the water before both of them begin cleaning Sid's wound. The poor sloth started crying in pain, Niamh was shaking and covering her face with her paws, whimpering: "Please hurry it up"

"I can't rush it, lass. This has to be done delicately or I'll end up making the gash worse" Buck explained to the nervous blue sloth before he looks down at the agonized sloth. "I know Sid; I know it's very painful but you must stop shaking"

Dodger stops cleaning and just starts comforting his best friend, keeping Sid very still while Buck continues tending Sid's gash before he nods over to Ellie again and takes the big leaf from her. Dodger carefully holds Sid up to his knees and helps Buck wrap the big leaf around Sid's abdomen and back then ties it up.

"There! All patch up" Buck said in relief as he looks at Sid then adds: "If I were you, mate; I just rest for a few days before doing anything. I advice you be careful how you move, no sharp movements or getting involve anything wild"

"So...basically just lie down and nap like I do every afternoon...Hooray," Sid joked while groaning in pain.

"Bring Sid to me, I'll carry him back home" Manny suggested.

Dodger and Buck carefully move Sid for Manny to gently pick him up and lay him on the mammoth's pack. "Thanks, buddy" Sid softly thanked to which made Manny smile in relief a bit but was still tense on the trio especially with Victor being involved in them.

"I can assure you guys when we get back, I will explain everything. I promise" Dodger informed the herd.

"I hope you do" Manny firmly nodded.

Soon the herd begins to head back to the campsite as little do they know that Balthazar was watching them leaving before he then walks away into the woods

As the herd got back to their home, Manny puts Sid gently on the ground for him to rest. The yellow sloth was surprisingly sleeping peacefully without snoring for the first time.

"I never saw Sid sleeping like this before. He normally snores" Manny whispers.

"He looks so peaceful" Ellie also whispers, smiling at the sleeping sloth.

"We best leave him be for now and try not to wake him up" Dodger softly said.

Soon the gang all gathered around one of the main areas of the cave as Dodger stood in the middle of the group circle and sighed: "I am aware you have so many questions and I will not hesitate to answer them, I promise you. That being said...what do you want to know first?"

"OK. First of all, who was that wolf?" Manny firstly asked.

"His name is Victor...He calls himself The Alpha Wolf" said Dodger.

"Alpha wolf?" Ellie spoke out in confusion.

"I heard of similar creatures like Victor. Some animals like wolves tend to rule over other packs by being the leader due to their strengths and intelligence" Diego points out.

"E-Except Victor i-is not like a-any other w-w-w-wolf that are out t-there" Niamh shudders.

"Victor is ruthless, cunning, dangerous and incredibly sadistic. He takes great pleasure in murdering his prey byways you cannot possibly imagine. All he cares about is carnage, power over fear to other mammals and to prove to the world that he is unstoppable and will kill anyone who denies him or gets in his way " Carrie spoke with malice in her voice.

"I think you three are ought to be lucky that Victor didn't kill you guys," said Diego.

"Aye, Very lucky" Buck agrees with the tiger.

"Why is Victor after you guys?" Ellie asked the sloths.

"B-Because of the night o-our village was flooded, M-M-Most of Victor's pack were wiped out and...i-it was only V-Victor and his...m-minions" Niamh whimpered.

"Minions?!" Crash exclaimed.

"You mean there's more than one wolf to worry about?!" Eddie also exclaimed.

"I'm afraid so; but on the plus side, there are only two followers" Dodger replied.

"The downside is that those two followers are Victor's best wolves in the pack," said Carrie.

"Can you describe them both for us?" Diego questioned Dodger.

"First of all, there is Balthazar. He's a very large wolf, taller than Victor and is big as up to my neck. He's not much of a villainous wolf that Victor is but he is rather strong and will not hesitate to destroy those by orders of his master" Dodger described Balthazar, making the twins gulp nervously.

"And that crazy lady?" Buck asked.

"That was Carlotta. Victor's second-in-command and from what I can tell, Carlotta is kind of like Victor's lady and trust me, it's not as good as it sounds" Carrie replied to the weasel.

"Carlotta, like Victor, is also sadistic and cunning. She, too, takes great joy in doing horrific wicked things for her master that she is sickly devoted to. She is wickedly insane as she is dangerous; She cares little of what others say or pleads to her, she will not hesitate to destroy those who make a fool out of her master nor will she hesitate to do anything that Victor asks her to do" Dodger explained to the herd about Carlotta.

"So what exactly happened that night when the flood occurred in your village?" Manny questioned the trio, pressing them on to confess more.

"It was three months ago..." Dodger started.

"Dodger" Carrie interrupted him and sadly adds: "Please don't..."

"Carrie, I am sorry but they deserve to know" Dodger firmly sighed out, still upset about her sister's behavior back at the woods. He turns back to the herd and adds: "Peaches, Niamh, will you wait by Sid and keep an eye on him for us, please?"

Peaches looked up to her mother who nodded as she quietly leaves to go and watch over her sleeping uncle along with Niamh. Dodger soon began to confess about the tragic event that befallen on the trio not too long ago:

"Two years after Sid and his family left the village, we began to be under attacked by Victor and his pack. For many years they've slaughtered each of our villagers one by one but no one seemed to be too bothered by it"

"Why?" Ellie asked, a bit dumbfounded.

"Well unlike us, our village was mostly dumb and lazy, they just excuse each violent attack from the pack that it's just nature and better the ones who got killed than themselves" Carrie answered.

"That's just terrible" Diego spoke out.

"I know" Carrie agreed.

"It wasn't long before Victor and his pack murdered Niamh's family and right in front of her" Dodger sadly continued. "She was just a young girl and when my parents found her, she was shivering and crying...covered in specks of her family's blood"

"The poor dear" Ellie gasped out in sadness for the blue sloth.

"Our parents took her in and raised her with us. Bless their hearts" said Dodger.

"Our parents also tried to convince our villagers even our leader of the village to take a stand and fight back at the wolves but we were rebuffed and mocked every time. Thinking we were just insane and completely naive, The leader of our village was nothing more but a spoiled blithering idiot who likes to sugarcoat everything to make the village look peaceful and safe when it is being full of dangers by Victor and his pack over the time we were growing up" Carrie explained about her people.

"It wasn't long before Victor and his gang attacked again three months ago and this time, they killed our parents when they fought them to stop their reign of terror" Dodger continued on the tale.

"The night we lost our family to Victor's pack was also the night that the flood occurred and wiped out our village and killed most of the wolf pack. The villagers blamed us for this incident when we were getting everyone to escape but as I said, they are naive fools for not seeing the truth" Carrie grunted out in frustration.

"And just like that...it was only us and Leo as well" Dodger sadly sighed. "He went his own way, we went our own. For three months we went from place to place to survive until we met you guys"

"So that's all there is to it" Carrie concluded. "I know you guys are upset and you have every right to be. We never ask to put you guys through this"

"You should have told us about this sooner" Manny argued.

"We never wanted this to happen" Carrie pointed out.

"Besides we thought that monster and the others were gone forever when the flood happened" Dodger added.

"Still, you should've been honest with us" Manny firmly points out.

"It was none of your business and I never wanted to stay with you guys but I did because, in my heart, I hoped that Victor was gone too" Carrie argued back at the mammoth.

"But sadly you were right, Carrie" Dodger replied. "Victor is still alive and he is out there to finish what he has started on us"

"But now he wants Sid dead too because of what he did to protect both Peaches and me"

"What do you mean?" Diego asked.

"When Victor tried to attack me, Sid grabbed my weapon which was an icicle tied to a stick. But instead of whacking Victor away, the icicle slashed Victor's eyelid instead" Carrie explained.

"DAAAAAAMN!" The possum twins exclaimed, dumbfounded.

"No one has ever stopped Victor before, not once. So out of all the mammals that went against Victor, Sid was the one who sent him running and now because of that, Victor swore revenge on Sid as you all recently saw" Carrie continued.

Niamh and Peaches soon return as the blue sloth mutters: "S-So what's going to happen t-to us now?"

"Isn't it obvious? We can't stay here, they're just gonna kick us out and for good reasons" Dodger sadly sighed.

"Don't say that! We're not kicking you out" Ellie shook her head.

"We are not abandoning you three on your own, OK? This isn't the first time we went through chaos like this. Together we can protect each other, we're a herd after all" Manny tried to speak some sense into the trio.

"No!"

The others turn to see Carrie looking at them sternly yet calmly. "Manny is wrong...we have to leave now," said Carrie who begins walking away

"No Carrie, You and the others are not leaving, You're staying with us," Manny said as she stops Carrie from leaving.

"But Manny, If we stay here, we're risking you all in danger" Carrie protested.

"And Sid's in danger too but we can protect ourselves as long as we stay together" Diego pointed.

"Diego's right, Carrie; We're a herd and a herd sticks together" Manny winked at the worried sloth.

"Besides Carrie, you owe Sid one after what he's done for you especially how you treated him back there" Dodger scolded her big sister.

Carrie looks down on the ground, shame begins to quickly grow on the pink sloth for as much as she was mad at the fact that her family's murderer is alive and got away. She knew Sid never meant to cause trouble, she eventually feels guilty for berating at Sid instead of being thankful to him for coming back for her and saved her from Victor's assault, despite the clumsy sloth's antics.

"You're right, Dodger. I should've been thankful to Sid, it's not his fault this has happened. I'm sorry"

"As much as I'm happy to hear you admitting your faults, I'm not the one who needs apologizing" Dodger points out.

"I know" Carrie nodded then turns to Manny. "OK, we'll stay but I just don't anyone of you to get hurt because of us"

"You're part of this herd, Carrie. For better or worse we'll make sure that Victor mongrel won't lay a claw on you" Manny assured the pink sloth.

Carrie softly smiles before she looks on at the room Sid was asleep in and begins walking to the yellow sloth, hoping that when Sid wakes up, she can try and make amends to her best friend.

* * *

**What happens next?**

**Stay tuned to find out!**


	10. Leo

**Chapter 9: Leo**

* * *

Carrie stands beside the sleeping sloth, staring at the leaf bandage that Buck used to cover the gash on Sid's back. It wasn't long before Sid was awake, yawning loudly and attempting to get up but Carrie gently holds him down.

"Stay down, Sid. You need time for the gash to heal" Carrie softly spoke.

"Oh yeah..." Sid yawned again.

"How are you feeling?" Carrie questioned Sid's welfare.

"Tired and mostly sore" Sid mumbled.

"Right" Carrie nodded before she sat next to him so they are facing one another. "Sid, I just wish to say that I'm sorry for how I acted back there with you"

"It's alright" Sid shrugged.

"No, it's not alright! Dodger was right, You did nothing wrong! You saved me from Victor and all I've done is nothing but berated at you that I didn't even care to stop to notice your injury" Carrie explained her guilt to Sid before she sighs out: "You're my best friend, Sid, and I treated you very poorly even when we met again yesterday"

"I understand. You were scared for both yourself and the others" Sid nodded.

"Can you ever forgive me, Sid?" Carrie sadly asked.

"Of course I forgive you. I'm too lazy to hold grudges" Sid chuckled, forgiving Carrie.

Carrie and Sid shared a chuckle before Carrie gently pets Sid on the head and softly said: "You did a very brave thing back there, Sid"

"Thanks" Sid thanked before he rambles on: "I got to be honest. I'm not exactly strong but I do some things because I care about others, like for example, I taught Diego how to swim when he was afraid of water. Though I properly should've told him that tigers were not that good of swimmers, I left that part out when most mammals can swim as good as babies and-!"

"Sid" Carrie started, softly hushing the sloth before in a gentle way, she said: "Can I ask you? Why do you ramble on every time?"

"I don't know" Sid replied. "Sometimes I wish I didn't though but I just like to make good conversations, Why's that?"

"Nothing. I just think sometimes maybe you need to think before you speak because sometimes people don't wanna hear pointless rambling that goes on forever. Know what I'm getting at?" Carrie explained.

"So you're saying I should keep my mouth shut? Is that what you mean?" Sid asked in confusion.

"No. I'm just saying that half of the time you mostly go on and on about things that we already get about like five minutes when it doesn't need to be babble on" Carrie tried to help the yellow sloth.

"Yeah...I guess I get what you mean. I just like to have nice conversations, that's all" Sid sighed.

"I understand. You may be different and...somewhat strange, Sid, but you're alright to me" Carrie said with a smile.

"Thanks and you're like a gem, beautiful and tough" Sid replied with a sly grin.

"My, my, aren't you charming" Carrie playfully chuckled.

"So...does this mean you're leaving the herd now after what happened?" Sid asked in concern.

"I did consider it but your mammoth friend convinced me to stay" Carrie replied.

"That's Manny for you. Always has a heart of gold, yet short-tempered. Kind of like you" Sid chuckled.

"Sure, At least I'm not fat" Carrie playfully scoffed as the two shared in a bit of a laugh before the yellow sloth looks up at Carrie and asked: "We're still best friends?"

"Of course we are" Carrie answered with an assuring smile to Sid.

Sid soon gently hugs Carrie to which the blushing pink sloth eventually returns the hug before she adds: "You could use a shower, to be frank"

"Sure, I'll have one when I get the chance" Sid nervously chuckled, hiding the fact he hadn't bath in a long while.

* * *

Back at Forbidden Rock, Victor was inside his cave where his howls and growls can be heard outside of the mountain. Carlotta paces back and forward in a fury that her love interest was injured as she shrieks: "How could this have happened to my Victor?!"

"It was a sloth that outsmarted Victor, Carlotta" Balthazar firmly points out.

"Who asked you?!" Carlotta hissed directly at the giant wolf before she glares straight at him and demanded: "And just where were you when the master needed us by the way?! Huh?!"

"As I said before: I was obeying the master's orders by staying out of the way and not to interfere with him getting his revenge" Balthazar calmly responded.

"Of course you were, it's because you're weak and useless! If I had my way, I kill you right here where you are" Carlotta growled.

"Please! You couldn't even kill that weasel you tried to slaughter today" Balthazar amusingly scoffed at the ugly she-wolf.

"And this coming from the wolf that didn't even slaughter that big green sloth" Carlotta yelled out.

"Am I interrupting something here?" A sly voice was heard to the wolves.

The trio turns to see a tall red sloth sitting on top of one of the smooth rocks, staring down at the wolves. Balthazar just lets out a gruff huff and said:

"Well, well, if it isn't Leo, the almighty prince of the village"

"Charmed to see you mutts as always" Leo sarcastically replied.

"And what are you doing back here, sloth?" Carlotta demanded.

"I don't have to answer to you, mongrel" Leo hissed.

"But you can answer to me"

The gang turns to Victor who approached the others outside from his cave. From the bottom of his left eyebrow and down to the bottom of his left eyelids, reveals a nasty scar that is forever imprinted on Victor's left eye. Carlotta goes to his master in misery and wailed out: "Oh my poor darling"

Carlotta attempts to lick Victor's cheek before the alpha wolf roughly shoves Carlotta away, growling: "Get off me, woman! You disappoint me enough as it is today"

Carlotta shudders out and bows her head in shame. Victor soon approached Leo who then said: "So you're being defeated for the first time. That's something I don't see every day"

"Give me a reason not to kill you where you stand" Victor deeply snarled at Leo.

"Because then who would give you offerings to keep the debt going?" Leo chuckled before he pulls out a flat log full of dead mammals that he killed as payment for Victor.

The alpha wolf grins wickedly and chuckles: "Fair enough"

"Feast on what you can and then we'll discuss the issue further if you wish," Leo said, heading into the cave.

"If you insist" Victor agreed.

Soon the wolves except for Balthazar feasts on the dead mammals to which Victor stares at him and in a mocking tone, questions him with: "You're not hungry, Balthazar?"

"Not at the moment, I'm afraid, sir" Balthazar shook his head.

"Fair enough but here!" Victor shrugged and tosses a small piece of meat to the large wolf before he smirks at Balthazar: "Bon Appétit"

Balthazar glares down and kept his silences; After the feast, the wolves were inside the cave of Forbidden Rock to find Leo waiting patiently for them as he approaches them and said: "So what's the problem?"

"Your so-called friends are in cahoots with an abnormal herd" Victor began.

"Abnormal?" Leo asked in confusion.

"This herd they're with are nothing but a bunch of freaks" Carlotta hissed.

"Silence!" Victor growled directly at Carlotta. "I shall do the talking here"

"S-Sorry master" Carlotta sheepishly apologized.

Victor glances back at Leo and continues: "From what I've seen; this herd has three mammoths, a saber, three rodents and of course...that sloth"

"Really? Interesting; I never knew such a herd could exist" Leo amusingly replied.

"Indeed and one of them had made a grave mistake on crossing me" Victor angrily nodded.

"So whoever angered you the most today gave you that scar?" Leo asked.

"Yes. That hideous freak of nature, who I shall destroy with my own two paws, is called Sid" Victor viciously growled.

Leo's face turned to a shocking surprise as this interests Carlotta who sneered at Leo: "Why the long face? Does the name ring a bell to you?"

"In a way...Yes," Leo sighed.

"So you know this Sid the sloth?" Victor demanded.

"Like I said, in a way" Leo answered. "I only know him as a child and he was friends with those three that we are after. But he and his family were exiled by my father for being too much of a burden to deal with. I didn't think that disgusting nuisance would still be alive"

"This is all rather inconvenient for us" Carlotta pointed out. "I mean we're after four sloths who are with a herd full of stronger creatures"

"Nevertheless, Carlotta. I am still the alpha wolf in these parts and no sloth or mammoth or tiger is going to stop me from doing what I shall do" Victor responded with malice.

"I assume you wolves know where they are, do you?" Leo questioned them with a raised eyebrow.

"Of course we do, how did you think we encounter them the first time?" Balthazar scoffed.

"They might have run away by now" Carlotta pointed out.

"Then we will find them as long as it takes, got it?" Victor growled at the female wolf.

"Sure" Carlotta nervously agreed.

"If it means that much to you, I'd like to take my role on the hunt here" Leo offered

The wolves looked at one another before they began to laugh out loud, much to the red sloth's offense as he snapped: "And what is so funny?!"

"Well let's see, we're laughing because we find it foolish of you to offer any help when last time you offered your assistance, you lost the trio thus we had to track them down for three months" Victor snapped at Leo.

"Yeah! What makes you think we need your help this time?" Balthazar asked the red sloth.

"While I'm not the best tracker, I can be a good puppet-master to my enemies when needed" Leo boasted while twiddling with his paws.

"Oh please!" Carlotta cackled but was silent when Victor held a paw up to Carlotta's face as if he was about to strike her but stops as Carlotta flinches and backs away in fear.

"There is some truth in that" Victor agreed with Leo. "Alright then; what do you propose?"

"Let me take part of the herd that this Sid and the others are in; With my manipulative charms and cunning skills, I can break the herd apart and have the sloths defenseless and since you want revenge on that sloth who gave you the scar, let me turn his herd against him, just my old man did to his family with our village" Leo suggested.

Victor thought long and hard about this until he came out with an answer: "Normally I hate to wait on ether on my hunting or my revenge, however, the idea of ruining that sloth's life will be pure justice for myself. Makes my revenge sweeter and sadistic to kill the sloth when he's down in the dumps and alone with nobody to love him whatsoever"

"Sounds pretty wicked the more I think about it" Carlotta agreed. "But that begs the question, aren't you after the pink sloth because you love her and wanted the other two out of the way?

"I don't love Carrie, you blithering fool! I hate her! It's her fault my village, my father and my kingdom are gone! The least I can do now is to kill her slowly and painfully!" Leo ranted.

"Patience my good friend, patience. Like I with Sid, you too will have revenge on Carrie. I assure you" Victor wickedly chuckled.

"Well then...Shall we get to work?" Leo deviously chuckles too before both Victor, Leo and Carlotta laughed evilly into the night, preparing for their evil plan to destroy the sloths and the herd.

* * *

**What happens next?**

**Stay tuned to find out**


	11. A New Hideout

**Chapter 10: A New Hideout**

* * *

The next morning, Manny was helping Sid getting cleaned up in the river due to the fact Sid cannot walk or do much with his injury on the back. It wasn't exactly a joy to wash the sloth as Manny knew it would be; from getting all the fungus and other filth off the dirty sloth, One would think to have some dignity when it comes to hygiene.

"Sometimes Sid, I wish you could look after your fur more often so we don't have to deal with you smelling so rotten at times" Manny gag in disgust.

"I'm sorry" Sid apologized. "But really, I don't see why I have to judge for my fur when you and the others can smell a bit bad at times"

"That's because we have a brain to wash often" Manny satirically replied

Sid crossed his arms and lets Manny continued cleaning him before he lets out a sharp hiss of pain when the mammoth accidentally touched the healing cut.

"Sorry buddy" Manny apologized.

"Be careful" Sid shuddered.

"You know Sid if you keep getting yourself into these sticky situations, you're going to look more terrible than you do now," said Manny.

"You're not that funny, Manny" Sid scoffed.

"Who says I was joking?" Manny shrugged.

Manny soon took Sid out of the river, the yellow sloth was all clean as his fur shines brightly yellow. Sid then looks at Manny who gently puts the sloth on his back and carries him back home.

As they walk back to the campsite, Manny eventually realizes that Sid was not talking to him along the way like he normally does. It was a bit of relief and but at the same time, very surprising for the mammoth that the sloth was quiet. But it didn't last long before Sid looks at Manny and said: "Thank you for not kicking my friends out of the herd"

"You're welcome" Manny shrugged. "So um...how are you feeling?"

"Still sore to be frank" Sid replied then nuzzles Manny's back for warmth.

"Will you stop rubbing yourself against my back? It's getting annoying" Manny sighed.

"Sorry, you're just so warm" Sid apologized.

Soon the two of them saw the sloths and the herd talking to a figure as they approached the others and sees who the figure is. Leo stood there with a smile on his face as the mammoth asked everyone:

"Hey...Did we miss something?"

"Who's he?" Sid asked, tilting his head in confusion.

"You don't remember me, do you, Sid? Eh, why should you? It was a long time ago" Leo chuckled before he introduces himself to Manny: "Allow to introduce myself; I'm Leo"

"So this is the Leo you were telling us about, guys?" Manny asked the three sloths whist gently putting Sid back down on the ground.

"Of course I am" Leo answered.

"I don't seem to remember you" Sid sheepishly points out as Dodger and Carrie hold Sid up on his feet.

"Like I said, why should you? I was the son of the leader of the village you and your family used to live a long time ago" Leo shrugged.

"Oh yes! Now I remember! You were the red sloth with the spiky devil-horn hair" Sid happily responded.

Dodger laughs at that while Leo nervously chuckles out: "You remember that, huh?"

"I almost completely forgot about that time you had that hairstyle, you looked like a little devil back there" Dodger laughed.

"Yeah, yeah; That's all behind us now" Leo nodded.

"Of course," said Carrie.

"It's nice to see you again, I hug you but..." Sid said, showing the wound on Leo.

"Oh, dear. What has happened here?" Leo gasped out.

"It's a long story but sadly you won't like the results" Dodger responded.

"V-Victor is s-s-still alive" Niamh whimpered.

"Are you serious, Natalie?" Leo asked the blue sloth whilst purposely mispronouncing her name.

"It's N-N-Niamh and y-yes, it's t-true" Niamh nodded.

"I see. That is bad indeed and he did this to Sid?" Leo asked.

"Aye, that monster almost killed Carrie if Sid hadn't saved her," said Buck.

"Now we're worried that Victor might know where we reside," Ellie said in concern.

"If that's the case then we have to move somewhere else, somewhere Victor can never find us" Manny purposed.

"I agree with you on that, sir; and if I may offer my assistance to you guys, I do know a certain place where Victor can never find us" Leo speaks out.

"And where would that be?" Crash asked.

"Is it something place awesome?" Eddie excitedly asked.

"If you would kindly let me, I can show you" Leo purposed.

The herd looks at one another in questionable looks. It was rather odd that an old friend of the sloth trio just showed up and offered to show them a new place just like that. Manny looks at the sloth trio and asked: "Well? Do you guys reckon we should trust him?"

"Of course we can. Leo is our dear friend and if anyone knows how to find a safe hideout, it'd be him" Dodger vouches for Leo.

"It's true. He often had our villagers secured in a cave wherever the wolves attack; those who were lucky to survive them that is" Carrie also vouched for Leo.

"I know it's strange that I just showed up and offered a place to stay which can make you guys very dubious of myself. I understand that; but I can assure you, as the son of the past leader of my village, it was my duty to keep my people and friends safe from harm. And knowing that Victor is still alive, I will be more than happy to fulfill my duties to keep my friends and friends of my friends away from danger" Leo explained himself.

The herd eventually come to believe the red sloth despite everyone's awareness that Leo himself is playing them right into his claws, assuming the role of the puppet master, With the sloth trio and herd gaining their trust upon Leo, he can use that trust to use his trickery and his cunning wickedness to break them apart and do what he set out to do for both himself and Victor.

"Very well then, lead the way" Manny eventually accepts Leo's offer.

"Good. I'll let you guys get prepared and we'll be on our way" Leo nodded.

Soon the herd prepare themselves to leave their campsite as Peaches sadly looks at the cave and said: "Bye, bye, home"

"Don't worry sweetie. we'll be in a safer home" Ellie assured her daughter.

Niamh was shivering near Dodger before the green sloth asked her: "Are you OK, Niamh?"

"J-Just scared. W-What if we run i-into the wolves a-again?" Niamh whimpered in fear.

Dodger wraps an arm around Niamh and pulls her closer to Dodger for comfort. "There, there, Niamh. I won't let anything happen to you, OK?"

Niamh slowly nods as she was blushing at the feel of Dodger's strong-arm before she timidly puts an arm around the waist of the green sloth. Dodger smiles and did the same before Niamh meekly smiles back.

_"Oh goodness...Stay calm Niamh, He's just a friend. I mean, it's not like you're in love with the most handsome and sexist sloth on the planet! ... What is wrong with me?! Why am I such a coward to say something to him?!"_ Niamh thought to herself.

"Is everyone ready?" Leo asked and the herd agreed. "Right; follow me and stay close"

The red sloth leads the herd on for nearly an hour until finally, the group reached to the far end of the island as they stopped at an odd but beautiful sea cave at one of the beaches.

They went into the huge sea cave as Leo announced: "Well, here we are"

"This place is huge," Ellie said in awe of the place.

"This is where you've been residing these last three months?" Manny asked Leo.

"Yep. Home sweet home" Leo lied while smiling at bull mammoth.

"So you're sure Victor and his mutts won't find us here" Diego questioned the red sloth.

"Of course not. Again, I've been here for three months and not once have the wolves or any other dangerous creatures have approached this cave" Leo answered.

"This place seems alright" Carrie nodded.

"It's great" Buck spoke out.

"Then it's settled. That'll be our new home" Manny agreed.

"Thanks, Leo" Dodger thanked his friend.

"No worries. Any friend of my friends is also my friend too" Leo chuckled and winks at the herd.

"That's very kind of you, Leo" Ellie also thanked the red sloth.

"Choose whatever part of the cave you guys wish to sleep at; there's plenty of room for everyone" Leo happily offered.

"I call the one with the vines!" Crash cheered out, pointing to a small room with vines on the cave wall.

"Hey, no fair! You got the call last time" Eddie argued.

"Go suck your toes" Crash insulted his twin brother.

"Go bite your tail off" Eddie insulted back.

"Cut it out, you two" Manny firmly snapped at the twins.

"You both can share the room" Leo suggested.

"Awesome!" The twins happily exclaimed before the herd settles into their new home.

Later on at night when everyone was deeply sound asleep, Leo quietly sneaks out of the cave before heading up to Forbidden Rock which unbeknown to the herd was nearby the cave they recently resided in.

Victor approaches the red sloth and growled: "Well?"

"They accepted me into the herd and I've led them to the cave. Just as I said I would" Leo wickedly replied.

"Excellent" Victor snarls in satisfaction.

"All I have to do now is break the herd apart, let the sloths go on their own and soon you will have the ugly sloth in your grasp and I shall have Carrie into her grave before we know it," said Leo.

"You better hope this works, otherwise it'll be you who will be in the grave" Victor threatened Leo.

"It will work, I'll make sure of it" Leo growled at Victor before the two villains parted their ways for the night.

* * *

**What happens next?**

**Stay tuned to find out!**


	12. Childhood Memories

**Chapter 11: Childhood Memories**

* * *

A week has passed since the herd moved into their new hideout thanks to their new herd member, Leo. While being viewed as a friend, they are unaware of Leo's true colors and plan that he is plotting upon them all with Victor. No real harm has come to the herd yet but soon Leo will eventually slither his way into the heart of the herd, slowly poisoning it to the point that might end up breaking the herd apart, should Leo prevail on his part of the evil plan.

Sid mostly rests as his gash slowly heals back to normal that it wasn't long before the sloth got back on his feet again and the fur on his tail had finally grown back, making Sid the joyful sloth that he is again. Carrie, whilst still on a cautious eye out for Victor or any of his minions out there, seems to be getting along with Sid and most of the herd which is the first time that she has slowly come to accept anyone as a friend since the night her parents and people died.

However, she was still not willing to speak her mind about her troubles or thoughts to anyone, not even to her giant little brother. She just wishes that things can be like the way they were when they were kids before Sid and his family were sadly kicked out.

One late night, Sid and the other sloths were resting beside a warm campfire and Carrie was carefully removing the leaf bandage from Sid before they can see that Sid's back was healed completely and the fur was growing back to normal on the back.

"Well Sid, it looks like you're alright now," said Carrie.

"Finally, I can stop sucking in my gut every time I had to get re-bandage" Sid sighs in relief while rubbing his round belly.

Carrie playfully pokes Sid on the belly with one of her dull claws as it tickles the yellow sloth. "What was that for?" He giggled.

"Nothing, You're not too fat but you seem to be a healthy sloth from what we can see" Carrie replied.

"Well, I do love eating my fruits and vegetables" Sid shrugged.

"Plus I can tell you're very ticklish, aren't you" Carrie giggled and continues poking Sid's belly.

Sid was giggling his head off while Dodger happily laughs at the playfulness when the tall sloth suddenly felt Niamh nervously poking his six-pack abs, hoping to get a laugh out of Dodger.

"I'm not ticklish, Niamh" Dodger chuckled.

"S-Sorry" Niamh nervously apologized.

The giant green sloth smiles and decided to gently tickle her feet which causes Niamh to start giggling. "Ooooh but you are" Dodger playfully teased and starts tickling Niamh's feet.

"D-Dodger!" Niamh started to laugh out loud from Dodger's tickling.

Sid and Carrie stopped their fun and amusingly watches the other two sloths were playing around until they eventually stop and calm themselves from the playfulness. Niamh blushes brightly red with Dodger's arm around her and heard the pink sloth said: "Well that's the first time I've ever seen you two having fun in a while"

Dodger turns to Carrie and happily adds: "First time I've seen you having fun as well, sis"

"Yeah, I guess it is" Carrie chuckled.

"Hope we're not interrupting you guys"

Soon they saw Manny, Diego and Buck approaching them to which Sid happily spoke out: "Hey my amigos! Come to join the party?"

"Eh, why not?" Buck shrugged and sits beside Sid and Carrie.

"Where are the others?" Carrie asked Manny.

"Ellie is asleep with Peaches and the twins" Manny replied.

"And your best friend is out there, keeping watch" Diego added.

"That's Leo for you, always making sure everything is safe for us" Dodger nodded.

"We weren't being t-too loud, w-were we?" Niamh timidly questioned.

"We heard you guys laughing and thought we decided to join the crowd" Buck answered.

"Be our guest" Carrie accepted the others to join them around the campfire.

Manny and Diego sat between where Sid and Niamh sat to which the blue sloth nervously smiles at the saber-tooth tiger. Diego sees this and knew Niamh was still a little bit anxious with him as he chuckles: "You don't have to be scared of me, Niamh. I told you, I wouldn't harm you whatsoever"

"I-I know. I-I'm just still trying m-my best to get used t-to you" Niamh stuttered while scooting over to Dodger.

"Give her time, Diego. She'll warm up to you guys eventually" Dodger assured the tiger.

"You guys remind us about the good old days when nothing terrible happened in our village and Sid was still with us" Carrie pointed out.

"Really? How much of the good old days do you guys remember with each other then?" Manny asked the sloths.

"I remember" Sid excitingly answered with his paw raised.

"You still remember, Sid?" Carrie curiously questioned her best friend.

"Of course. I remember most of the time we were together," Sid smiled before he chuckled out, "You didn't like me at first, that I can say."

The group smirked at Carrie with raised eyebrows as she nervously giggled, "I was...misjudged with him."

"Define 'was'," Sid teased.

"Oh stop it!" Carrie scoffed but smiles at the yellow sloth.

"How did you guys meet anyway?" Buck questioned the sloths.

Sid and Carrie looked at one another before they each work together to explain the day they first met as children...

* * *

_A young girl was walking by an oak tree where she decided to just sit on one of the trunks while grumbling out:_

_"Stupid Leo and those bullies. Who are they to say that Niamh and I can't play with them because we're girls?"_

_"I'll play with you"_

_Carrie got startled by the voice as she jumped up and looked around to see nothing before she called out, "Who's that?!"_

_Suddenly, a male sloth was upside down on a tree branch facing Carrie out of nowhere, cheerfully saying, "Hello."_

_Carrie reacted in alarm and punched the male sloth in the nose as he fell on the ground in pain._

_"Good punch," the male sloth groaned._

_Carrie looked down to see a rather odd, smelly sloth in front of her as she asked in disgust, "Who or what are you?"_

_"Sorry to scare you like that. I'm Sidney, but you call me Sid," The young yellow sloth replied._

_"Were you spying on me?" Carrie asked._

_"No. I was relaxing up here when I saw you being upset," Sid responded._

_"Oh..." Carrie said with a nod._

_"So, what's the matter?" Sid sincerely asked._

_"That is none of your business," Carrie scoffed and looked away._

_"You know you can tell me anything. I'm here for anyone who needs help," Sid kindly offered._

_"I don't even know you nor do you know me!" Carrie snapped a bit._

_"I just told you. I'm Sid," Sid pointed out._

_"Yeah. So?" Carrie shrugged._

_"Aren't you going to tell me your name?" Sid asked._

_"Why should I?" Carrie asked another question._

_"Because my mommy said that introductions are a good way to start a conversation," The boy replied._

_"Right..." Carrie said, slowly nodding._

_"Is something bothering you?" Sid questioned the female sloth._

_"Yeah. When's the last time you had a bath?" Carrie asked, disgusted by Sid's foul odor on his fur._

_"Ummm...A year or two?" Sid answered with a shrug._

_"Seriously?" Carrie scoffed._

_"Yeah. Why?" Sid asked in confusion._

_"OK...Sid...Let me give you some advice. If you even want to make a good first impression…" Carrie started before she pushed Sid off to a small river where the young sloth poked his head out of the water. "Clean yourself up first so you don't go smelling like something died."_

_"Oh, I see! So if I have a bath, then will you talk with me?" Sid happily asked._

_"Yeah, sure. Whatever," Carrie scoffed as she turned away with a "hmph"._

_"OK. I'll see you soon," Sid happily cheered as he swam out of the river then walks away._

_"What a freaky creature," Carrie said as she shuddered._

* * *

The others looked at Carrie and Sid while understanding the circumstances with how Sid was in the past. They seemed not amused by Carrie's snarky persona as a kid.

"Alright, so maybe we got off on the wrong foot at the start," Carrie bashfully admitted.

"Define 'maybe'," Sid said, smirking at Carrie.

"Are you going to continue rubbing your face on my mistakes?" Carrie firmly asked.

"Nope," Sid shook his head.

"So, what happened next?" Diego asked the sloths.

"Well, I took a couple of baths like Carrie wanted me to do..." Sid continued the story, this time on how he met with the rest of the trio.

* * *

_A day later, Sid walked to the same oak tree and there she was, still lying on that same side of it when he saw her yesterday. The boy approached Carrie again and cheerfully greeted with, "Hello again. I'm back."_

_Carrie looked up and while mildly impressed that the male sloth took on her note, she was annoyed that he was back with her again._

_"Oh...it's you. What do you want?" Carrie sighed._

_"I did what you said. I took a couple of baths and now I'm all clean," Sid happily replied._

_"So, I see...And?" Carrie asked with a shrug._

_"And you said if I was clean, then you would talk to me," Sid answered._

_"Honestly, I didn't think you would do it," Carrie pointed out._

_"Well, I did," Sid simply said._

_"I see..." Carrie sighed. "Very well. You can stay with me for a bit."_

_"Cool!" Sid cheered as he sat by Carrie's side, much to her discomfort. "So, what's your name?"_

_"...Carrie...My name is Carrie, and don't laugh," Carrie firmly responded._

_"Why would I laugh?" Sid asked in confusion._

_"Well honestly, how many girls have you met named Carrie? I mean, what kind of name is that? It's like a joke waiting to happen like: 'Hi, Carrie. Would you like me to carry you up on the hill, Carrie? No? Ok, carry on?'" Carrie responded._

_"I reckon it's a beautiful name," Sid replied as he smiled at the pink sloth._

_"Thanks...So...Sid, is it?" Carrie replied as she tried to remember the name._

_"Yeah, it's Sid. Nice to meet you," Sid answered with a nod, expanding his paw out for her._

_"You too," Carrie replied as she slowly shook the male sloth's paw._

_Soon two more child sloths approached Carrie as Dodger looks at Sid in confusion and asked: "Who's he? Is he a new friend?"_

_"Umm..." Carrie started since she has no intention of actually being friends with the odd sloth._

_"Hi! I'm Sid" Sid happily greeted._

_Just then the young blue sloth which was Niamh, bounced around happily to Sid, giggling: "Hi! I'm Niamh! How do you do?"_

_"Good, how about you?" Sid replied._

_"I'm great! Can we be friends?! I love to make new friends!" Niamh cheerfully asked._

_"I'd love to be friends with you!" Sid happily accepted._

_"Goodie!" Niamh squeaked in delight, holding Sid's paws, jumping up and down with him._

_Dodger chuckles at this while Carrie scoff and rolls her eyes in annoyance. The small green sloth soon goes up to Sid and said: "Name's Dodger; Nice to meet you, Sid"_

_"You too" Sid greeted back._

* * *

Manny, Diego and even Buck were interested to hear how the quartet came to know one another.

"You were a cheerful sloth back there, Niamh," Diego said to the blue sloth.

"An l-long time a-ago, yes I was" Niamh nervously giggled.

"You guys became friends fast, did you" Manny chuckled.

"Well, not all of us" Dodger smirked at his sister.

"Don't worry Carrie, we don't blame you. We'd do the same thing if we'd known Sid back there as kids" Diego gave Sid a smug grin.

"No, you would just eat me" Sid scoffed.

"I don't eat junk food, remember?" Diego sarcastically replied.

"OK, so Sid and I never got along at the past unlike my brother and Niamh here but we eventually became best friends in the end" Carrie explained about the past with Sid.

"It all started when I got your necklace back," Sid pointed out.

"Necklace? What necklace?" Buck asked the pink sloth.

"It was a necklace that my mother used to make for me and I like it, growing up" Carrie answered.

"S-So what happened t-to that necklace a-again?" Niamh asked.

"If you must know, a lousy vulture snatched it off from me. He took it up at his nest on a mountain nearby the village. No one couldn't climb up to his nest and get it back. Not even I could" Carrie responded before she turns to Sid and adds: "But somehow he did and got it back"

"It wasn't easy, I can tell you that much" Sid sheepishly scratched the back of his head.

"So ya went up that mountain, risking your neck from falling and getting attacked by a rat with wings so you could get the lass's necklace back to her," Buck said.

"Yep," Sid happily answered with a nod.

"It was when I saw him afterward that made me became best friends with Sid," Carrie replied.

* * *

_Carrie was resting by the oak tree again tone late afternoon with Dodger and Niamh who were comforting her after she lost her favorite necklace that her mother made for her._

_"I'm sure Mom can make you a new necklace, sis," The young Dodger said._

_"I know but I like that necklace, it was my favorite" Carrie sadly replied._

_"Hey...guys..."_

_The trio looks over to a surprising sight that greeted their eyes. Sid was standing there with bruises and scratches, all wet and worn out with Carrie's necklace gripped tight in his paws._

_"I got your necklace," Sid groaned in agony._

_"Sid?! What happened to you?!" Niamh exclaimed in shock._

_"Oh, you know. I tried to reason with a vulture that it's not OK to steal and I asked him for the necklace, but he refused and attacked me as I snatch it off the nest. One thing leads to another, I fell down the mountain hurting my back, arms and legs before that vulture scratched and pecked the heck out of me," Sid explained through the agony._

_"H-How did you escape?!" Carrie gasped._

_"I dove into the water and held my breath as long as I could before he gave up and flew away...Anyway, here you go," Sid moaned out before fell to the ground._

_"Oh my goodness!" Carrie exclaimed as she rushed to the sloth's side and asked, "Are you OK?"_

_"Don't worry about me. I'll live. Just know you got the necklace back. Hehe-ow! It hurts to laugh," Sid groaned._

_"Sid...this is the sweetest and bravest thing you have done for me...Thank you so much," Carrie sincerely thanked as she cuddled the sloth close._

_"You're welcome...ouch..." Sid moaned out._

_"Come on. Let me tend to your wounds, buddy" Dodger softly said as he helped the male sloth up and the group starts to head back to the village._

* * *

"And it was that day forth that Sid and I became best friends ever since," Carrie concluded as the two sloths smiled at each other.

"That was a very brave thing you did for my sister, Sid" Dodger proudly phrased.

"We all think so, lad," Buck replied with a wink.

"A little reckless, but I agree with the others," Manny added with a nod and a smile.

"Thanks," Sid bashfully chuckled. "But sadly our times together didn't last long before my family were moved away and I had to go with them"

"We missed Sid terribly when he left and so did our parents" Dodger adds.

"And I m-miss Sid t-t-too" Niamh stuttered.

"Well, you guys are together again now in the herd and that's all that matters," said Manny.

"Indeed" Sid agreed.

The group enjoyed their campfire conversations together while Leo deviously watches within the darkness of the cave, grinning with a sneer and whispered: "Enjoy your times together as a herd because like a predator to its helpless prey, I will tear your family apart, piece by piece until there is nothing left but sadness and sheer pain!"

* * *

**What happens next?**

**Stay tuned to find out!**


	13. Babysitting Peaches

**Chapter 12: Babysitting Peaches**

* * *

As time passed with the herd in their new home, tension begins to rise with the risk of Victor and Carlotta hunting them down. But mostly lately the trio was a little uncomfortable on Sid was treated by the herd daily as to the herd, it was just a normal day like any other. Manny was just a typical grump, trying to look out for his family, Diego mostly kept to himself, the twins played pranks on people mostly to the yellow sloth while Ellie, Peaches, and Buck seemed to be the only mammals that the trio see that treat Sid with kindness and respect.

Carrie eventually decided to prove them wrong about Sid being a misfit when she saw her friend arguing with Manny about babysitting Peaches.

"I told you, Sid, for the thousand times, No!" Manny rejected the sloth's offer.

"Well, what else are you going to do? Leave Peaches by herself?" Ellie asks her husband in disbelief.

"No, but Sid doesn't even have the qualities of looking after kids, let alone our daughter" Manny argued.

"But you said I was a good parent to my three kids years ago" Sid points outs.

"That you took from their mother" Manny also points out.

"How was I supposed to know she was still there? I thought they were abandoned in the cold" Sid argued.

"Manny; let's just give Sid another chance" Ellie tried to reason with Manny.

"What? No way!" Manny refused.

"Then who are we going to ask then? Diego's out, so are the boys and the sloths; I'm not leaving our daughter on her own while we're out on our date" Ellie firmly argued.

"I'll look after Peaches with Sid"

The trio saw Carrie approaching them as she smiles at Sid and said: "I can look after Peaches with Sid"

"There, you see? Carrie and Sid can look after Peaches" Ellie happily said to her husband.

"I don't know" Manny uneasily replied.

"Gees; for a tubby mammoth, you're not jolly, are you?" Carrie snorted.

"I'm not fat! It's my fur! It's just poofy!" Manny sternly protested.

"If being in denial makes you happy, then I won't judge" Carrie replied, smirking at the mammoth.

Manny just frowned at Carrie before he sighs out: "Alright, alright...you can both look after Peaches for us"

"Will do, Manny, old pal" Sid winked at Manny.

The bull then looks at Sid sternly and adds "But I'm telling you now Sid, if you stuff this up, you'll be answering to me."

"I won't, I promise" Sid assured and was about to leave when Manny grabs him and hoists him up to his face.

"I mean it, Sid! I want you to take good care of our daughter! So for once in your life, don't screw this up!" Manny firmly warned before dropping the sloth and walking away.

"I...I won't. I promise" Sid softly replied as he hates it when Manny gets stern at him.

"What the heck is that jerk's problem?" Carrie asked Ellie, glaring at Manny walking away.

"It's just with everything that's happening, he's only trying to look out for us because he loves us" Ellie replied.

"Why do you let him push Sid around like that? He can't be that bad at stuff" said Carrie.

"I know but that's just how Manny is, he's a stubborn mammoth and to be honest; I, too, hope you two take good care of Peaches for us" Ellie replied, looking at the sloths in concern.

"We will look after her while you're out. She'll be safe with us" Carrie assured the female mammoth.

"I won't screw this up, Ellie. I promise" Sid reassured her.

Ellie nodded and replied: "Alright, stay safe you two and make sure Peaches behaves"

"We will" Carrie nodded as Ellie leaves with her husband before Peaches happily runs to Sid and hugs him.

"I'm so happy you're going to play with me, Uncle Sid" Peaches happily said.

"What do you wanna do, Peaches?" Sid asked.

"Can I show a place where the prettiest flowers grow?" Peaches asked.

Carrie looks at the young mammoth, not convinced that it was a good idea to go out while Victor is on the hunt but eventually Sid just happily shrugged:

"Sure"

"Yay! Follow me!" Peaches excitingly replied and head out of the cave.

"Peaches! Slow down and let us walk together" Carrie spoke out to the young mammoth.

"Sorry" Peaches sheepishly apologized.

As the trio left the sea cave, Leo watches from the distance inside from the shadows as he walks out, watching the heroes walk to where Peaches wants to take them as he deviously chuckled: "Sorry to disappoint you, Sid; but you'll be failing your dear old buddy yet again"

The wicked red sloth then motions someone over as it was Carlotta before he sternly said: "Now remember, it's the yellow sloth your Victor wants; do what you wish to that little pest he's with for I care but leave Carrie to me..."

"Whatever you say, your majesty" Carlotta mocks before she follows the trio quietly without getting seen.

Meanwhile, Peaches eventually shows the duo where the most lovely flowers grow by a river known as Seaweed River since the place was nearby the ocean and seaweed grows within the small river.

"Seaweed River?" Carrie said in confusion.

"Sea-what?" Sid asked with his head tilted a bit.

"Seaweed River" Carrie repeated. "This river is where we used to bath as children with our parents long ago"

"Oh...I never went there" Sid pointed out as Peaches goes to pick some of her favorite flowers.

"That's because you never bathe yourself and looking at you now, you still don't" Carrie sighed, rolling her eyes.

"Why is it every time we speak, you always have to be so...well...so serious?" Sid questioned the pink sloth.

"That's because I am serious" Carrie replied.

"That's for sure" Sid shrugged.

Carrie glanced at Sid firmly and scoffs: "So you rather prefer if I was goofy and care-free like you?"

"No! That's not what I'm saying-" Sid shook his head.

"Do you think it's easy for me to not stress out about the possibility that Victor could be stalking us this moment? Do you want me to just be happy and carefree despite hiding from a dangerous creature that is not only after me but after you? This isn't a game, Sid; we are in danger at the moment and the last thing I want to do now is to stay calm" Carrie coldly questioned Sid.

"Look, I'm only saying-!" Sid started.

"So unless you lost your family in a horrible attack or a disaster-" Carrie firmly interrupts Sid.

"Can you just at least let me finish what I have to say?!" Sid loudly exclaimed at Carrie.

The pink sloth looks at Sid, realizing that she was rudely interrupting him and letting her stubbornness get the better of her as she softly then said: "I...I'm sorry, Sid"

"It's alright, I understand" Sid sighed.

"Look; I didn't mean to be stubborn with you but I have my problems to deal with right now, problems that do not involve you" Carrie explained.

"Why not? We're a herd, a family. We look out for each other" Sid replied.

"Well forgive me for doubting you, Sid; but what kind of herd treats you with little respect and doesn't take you seriously?" Carrie asked.

"As I remembered before, you were pretty much disgusted by me when we met" Sid pointed out.

"True but I overlooked that and became friends with you because you were so kind and caring to all of us" Carrie nodded.

"...I think Manny hates me" Sid said.

"Why do you say that?" Carrie asked.

"He doesn't say it but I think he has a good reason...it's my fault" Sid softly responded.

"What? What is your fault?" Carrie questioned the yellow sloth much to her curiosity.

Sid looks at Peaches who was not noticing them but was making something with the flowers she found, the sloths look at Carrie then sits down with her and said: "That I almost got the herd killed"

Carrie looks at Sid in bewilderment before she clears her throat: "What are you talking about?"

"You see when Ellie was carrying Peaches, Manny became worried that Ellie and the baby would be hurt so he did everything he could to protect them but instead he became overbearing and overprotective that he never trusted me with anything anymore, not that he trusted me in the past" Sid started.

"Anyway after another panic from a false alarm that Manny thought Ellie was giving birth, Diego thought he was too much of a house cat instead of a saber and...I don't know, the two got into a fight and Diego left. I tried to cheer him up but Diego said that we weren't a herd and he left me all by himself as I was convinced that this was the end of the herd"

"I see" Carrie nodded.

"I'm not done" Sid pointed out.

"Sorry" Carrie apologized.

"I became so scared that I was going to be alone that I tried making friends but no luck that was until I found three eggs underground that I thought were abandoned and with good intention, I thought I would take them and keep them safe, start a family to those abandoned eggs..." Sid continued. "I almost lost one to my mistake but luckily Ellie saved it before Manny told me to take them back because they didn't belong to me"

"I'm not one to agree with that mammoth but he might have a point back then," said Carrie.

"I know but my heart warns me what if they were abandoned and I'd be leaving them to die" Sid replied.

"You always had a good heart, Sid," Carrie said with a warm smile to the yellow sloth.

"Manny just thought I was jealous that he's having a family that I wanted my own but that was not the case" Sid shook his head. "Anyway, he told me that I will one day find a girl of my own and have a family together but..."

"But what?" Carrie asked.

"He said the only girl I'll ever have will be one with low standards...no real options...or sense of smell..." Sid sadly sighed.

"That's awful" Carrie spoke, getting stern on the bull mammoth.

"He could be right, I mean...look at me" Sid softly replied before continuing about the time that the herd encountered the Dinosaur World and how they risked their lives to save Sid after what he's put them through.

Carrie just sat there, dumbfounded on Sid's tale, and just said: "So...dinosaurs, huh?"

"I know it sounds very stupid" Sid started.

"No, no, I believe you. I just...I never expected that" Carrie interrupts, though finding it hard to believe in the dinosaur world, she didn't want to hurt Sid's feelings.

"But if that's the case then while you did had a part on what happened to the herd in the Dinosaur World, it was mostly your friend's fault for not being a better friend to you" The pink sloth added.

"But he was a good friend, he risked everything to save me, Diego and the others too" Sid explained.

"Well, I think apart from Ellie, they only went to find you so they wouldn't look bad in case they didn't want to find you, your friend seems reluctant to go down in the underworld with the possums and besides, wasn't it Buck that saved you and got you back with the herd in the end?" Carrie asked.

"Yes and the twins too but Diego and Manny were protecting Ellie from the raptors because she was giving birth to Peaches" Sid defended his friends.

"I see" Carrie nodded.

"I know I'm not the innocent snowflake here, I know I can be a screw-up and everything but I just wish the others can rely on me and trust me to do things right" Sid sighed.

"I don't think you're a screw up" Carrie comforted. "I reckon you're an amazing friend to be with"

Carrie touches Sid's paw as the yellow sloth smiles warmly at the pink sloth who sweetly smiles back. It was that moment that the two begin to feel a bit of spark that they seem to see something more within what they are seeing in each other.

However, it was interrupted when Peaches goes up to them and happily exclaims: "Hey Carrie, I made this for you"

The sloths saw that Peaches made a beautiful flower crown made by the flowers she was picking from as the pink sloth puts it on and sweetly replies: "Thanks dear, I love it"

"You're very creative, Peaches" Sid chuckled.

"Thanks, Uncle Sid" Peaches thanked and cuddles her uncle.

"Awwww...how sweet"

The trio suddenly looks over the other side of the small river to see Carlotta stalking up to them menacingly as the female wolf evilly giggles: "I've forgotten what's like to have a loving family"

"Get behind me!" Carrie angrily demanded as she grabs her spear and points it at Carlotta.

Sid and Peaches huddles behind Carrie as Sid holds Peaches close away from Carlotta before the evil female wolf scoffs: "Calm down, Carrie; it's not you that I'm after" before glaring straight at the yellow sloth; "I am here for him"

"You leave my Uncle Sid alone" Peaches angrily exclaimed.

"Stay back, Peaches! Don't go near her!" Carrie ordered before glaring back at Carlotta.

"Me?" Sid gulped, nervously watching Carlotta.

"You hurt my darling Victor and now he wants payback; I'll be making sure he gets it when I drag you back to him and let him tear you limb from limb" Carlotta growled.

"Over my dead body," Carrie snapped.

"Well isn't this cute? The brave pink sloth protecting her ugly boyfriend" The female wolf mocked.

"He's not my boyfriend, you dumb mutt" Carrie scoffed.

"You tell her, sweetie" Sid cheered, not realizing his mistake.

"Yeah!" Carrie nodded before she got confused about what Sid said at the end. "Wait, what?"

"So you won't give up the freak that easy? So be it" Carlotta viciously growls before she lunges straight at Carrie and fights with her.

"Carrie!" Both Sid and Peaches cried out in fear.

"Don't worry about me, Sid! Get Peaches to safety! Now!" Carrie cried out.

Sid knew Carrie was right this time as he couldn't let Peaches get harm as Carrie was a strong mammal to stand up for herself. He took Peaches far away from Seaweed River before he turns back and sees Carrie struggling with the female wolf.

"We have to do something!" Peaches cried out.

"All we can do is head back to the cave and get help! I'm not letting that ugly wolf hurt you!" Sid replied as he quickly leads Peaches away from the battle.

As Carlotta hits Carrie down who quickly got up back and positions herself to attack Carlotta with her spear, the female wolf just giggled: "Look at you, you say you're a strong and well-fought warrior but you couldn't defend yourself against myself or my darling Victor"

"I am not as weak as you think I am" Carrie hissed.

"Oh please, who are you kidding? You're just like your parents and look at what where they are now, dead; because they were nothing but weaklings like you" Carlotta growled before lunging for another attack.

The pink sloth was prepared this time as she dodges and slashes the wolf's arm with her spear, causing her to howl in pain and snarls angrily at the female sloth who mocked her with: "You were saying?"

"Don't be so cocky...after all...As I said, it's not you that I'm after" Carlotta wickedly giggles before she bolts after Sid and Peaches.

"No! NO!" Carrie screamed in fear as she makes chase after Carlotta.

Sid and Peaches were getting closer to the Sea Cave before the yellow sloth was tackled down by Carlotta who begins choking him with her paws.

"Uncle Sid!" Peaches screamed.

Just then the herd who came back to the sea cave from their daily adventures heard the commotion from one of the hills and saw Carlotta chocking Sid as Peaches watches in dismay.

"Peaches!" Manny screamed in fear.

"It's Carlotta! She's attacking Sid!" Leo gasped, despite actually hoping that Carlotta does complete her task before the others stop her.

"Let's go!" Buck yelled as the rest of the herd hurries to the others as fast as they could.

While Carlotta was trying to attack Sid to get him back to Victor, Peaches attempted to push Carlotta off who only just roughly shoved Peaches down.

"Let go of my Uncle Sid, you monster!" Peaches cried out.

"P-Peaches!" Sid chocked. "Run! Get back to the hideout! Go!"

"Yes, run little Peaches" Carlotta mocked the frightened young mammoth before glaring at the chocking yellow sloth. "You're coming with me if I have to bite down that ugly neck of yours and drag you all the way back!"

Peaches angrily pick up a small log near one of the fallen trees with her trunk and charges at Carlotta with it, yelling out: "Let my uncle go, you wicked witch!"

As soon as Peaches directly hits Carlotta with the log straight on her head, the wolf bellows in agony before in fury, she yells out and swipes her sharp claws at Peaches, slashing her small trunk. The poor young mammoth screamed in stinging pain and falls to the ground, letting go of the trunk and whimpers loudly from the scratch on her bleeding trunk.

"Peaches!" Sid screamed in alarm for his mammoth niece, he then directly looks at Carlotta as anger begins to bubble inside Sid for the first time as it made him so mad that the evil wolf would dare to harm someone he cares for so much.

Carlotta angrily and slowly goes to Peaches, growling: "You wanna play rough, you little brat?! I'll show you rough!"

But before she could attack Peaches any further, she felt someone grabbing her tail roughly as she turns to see Sid glaring at her furiously and snaps out:

_"Get-away-from-my-niece!"_

With all of his strength he could muster, Sid throws Carlotta by the tail away from Peaches and sends her flying straight onto a tree, making the wolf hit it loudly on impact as she falls to the ground in agony. Carrie just arrived at the scene and saw what just happened, looking at Sid was shivering and panting heavily much to everyone's shock and surprise.

"Sid..." Carrie gasped in amazement for Sid.

Suddenly they heard Carlotta snarling loudly and was at the brink of murdering them all but before she could charge at them again, the rest of the herd managed to arrived after hearing the commotion and got in front of Carlotta, ready to fight her.

"Curses!" Carlotta growled.

"This just ain't your day, Carlotta" Dodger firmly spatted to the wolf.

"You'll die for this...You will all die in the end!" Carlotta screams in fury before she retreats to Forbidden Rock while the herd watches her depart for now.

* * *

**What happens next?**

**Stay tuned to find out!**


	14. Broken Herd

**Chapter 13: Broken Herd**

* * *

Soon the herd checks up on Peaches while the sloth trio helps Sid up before Dodger asked:

"Sid, Carrie, are you alright?"

"I'm fine" Sid nodded.

"Sid...that was amazing; the way you threw Carlotta away to protect Peaches" Carrie replied with astonishment at what she just witnessed.

"Yeah, well; I couldn't let Carlotta hurt Peaches again" Sid sheepishly chuckled.

**"UNBELIEVABLE!"** Manny angrily yelled as Sid and Carrie turns to him as he furiously snaps: "One thing! I asked you to do one thing and now look at my daughter!"

"But Manny-?" Sid started before Manny suddenly grabbed Sid by the neck and held him threateningly to his face.

"You just can't do anything right, can't you?!" the male mammoth yelled at the terrified sloth. "You're just as worst as you were back when you caused that Dinosaur World incident!"

"Hey, mammoth!" Buck shouted sternly. "Don't ya think perhaps you're being unreasonable to him? Besides, he saved her bloody life!"

"He's right, Manfred! I know you're angry but you should be mad at Carlotta for hurting your daughter, not Sid! She may have a scratch but she'll be fine!" Carrie angrily added.

"Let me define, fine! Fine is not having my daughter being scarred by that crazy mutt" Manny accused Carrie, Dodger, and Niamh.

"I'm sorry Manny, I tried to protect Peaches the best I can" Sid sadly apologized.

"Well, you didn't do good enough as always" Manny firmly snapped at the yellow sloth and drops him. "You couldn't even save yourself from peril! No matter how many times something that involves trouble with you happens with us, We're always the one risking our lives to save you! I don't even know why I bother letting you stay in this herd!"

"Manny..." Sid started. hurt by the remark.

"You are never babysitting Peaches again; EVER!" Manny yelled at Sid.

"Told you it would end in a disaster, Sid" Diego sighed, shaking his head at the sloth.

"Manny, you're being unreasonable" Ellie argued.

"I'm being unreasonable?! Ellie, we could've lost our daughter" Manny argued back. "I told you we should've never trusted Sid with her"

"Oh, sure! Because heaven forbids that Sid would actually let your daughter get killed like your stubborn brain imagines" Carrie loudly scoffed.

The whole herd looks at Carrie, surprised at her remark while Manny angrily looks at her, and asked: "What did you just say?"

"Let me tell you something _'Manfred'_ do you know what I think of you now that we've gotten to know your herd these last few weeks? I can see that you are just a short-tempered fat moron with idiotic issues" Carrie spitefully responded.

"Now wait just a minute-!" Manny firmly started.

"You are such an ungrateful friend to Sid here that you don't even begin to realize how lucky you are to have someone like him in the herd as we did as friends!" Carrie raised her voice at Manny before turning to Diego: "And you; you just can't last a day without making a sarcastic comment to Sid nor threaten to chase him whenever he does something that annoys you at times. Granted I can be sarcastic but at least I don't chase friends when they are annoying especially when half of the time the twins are more annoying than Sid"

"Hey!" The possum twins sadly spoke out.

"I'm a saber, we have pride in ourselves" Diego points out to the pink sloth.

"Yeah, keep telling yourself that, pussy cat" Carrie firmly scoffed which made Diego scowl at her before she turns to the twins:

"And you two; do you just love to do stupid pranks on people that cannot do stuff back at you? Tell me, would you like it if I tried to make a hawk go after you for the sake of finding it funny?"

"No" The twins shook their heads.

"I thought so" Carrie snorted.

"You didn't have to be rude" Crash moaned.

"We didn't do anything...yet" Eddie whined.

"Why is it OK for you guys to bully Sid 24/7 but when he does it back, you lot get fuming at Sid for it?! You guys are nothing but hypocrites" Carrie snapped at the guys.

"This coming from the woman who hated Sid in the past" Manny snapped back.

"I was a kid, I changed for the better which is more than I say for your fat self" Carrie scoffed.

"OK, you know what-" Manny started to lose his temper at Carrie.

"Both of you, Enough! This is getting out of hands!" Ellie angrily exclaimed at the duo, breaking them apart then firmly looks at Carrie: "Carrie, I know Manny can be stubborn like Diego and all that but you have to understand they are the most loving people I'd ever known and that's why I married Manny; Yes he can be grumpy but he sometimes means well"

Ellie then turns to Manny and firmly added: "And you, Manny; Carrie is right, you should be grateful that Sid protected our daughter from that monster but you just can't let your doubts and fears go!"

"I'm only trying to protect you guys that what leaders of the herd do" Manny tried to explain to Ellie.

"A very poor leader at that" Carrie coldly pointed out.

"Carrie! Enough!" Dodger angrily scolded her big sister.

"So you're saying you'd be a better leader of the herd than I would, Carrie?" Manny demanded.

"I reckon a dung beetle would do better than you" Carrie mocked the bull mammoth.

"You are so pig-headed" Manny angrily groaned.

"Maybe but at least I treat my friends with respect" Carrie snapped.

"G-Gees, it's like watching s-siblings fight" Niamh whimpered.

"Why do you hate Sid. Manny?" Carrie demanded.

"I don't hate Sid" Manny objected.

"Bullroar!" Carrie exclaimed. "I know you don't like him, you can't fool me with that! Every time I see him with mostly you, you never get along even when Sid is being a friend most of the time towards you"

"To you, Diego and the twins, you all see Sid as a target, the butt of the jokes and a punching bag but I see a sweet caring person on the inside who's trying so hard to make you guys happy; Granted, yes he can be a bit annoying and silly with his attics but that is no big reason to act like stubborn jerks towards him"

"Normally I don't agree on how Carrie's using with her choice of words and tone but she is right on that" Ellie points out.

"So tell me, Manny! What are you so irritated about with Sid? What do you want him to do to make you less stubborn and more accepted in this herd?!" Carrie angrily raised her voice.

"Well maybe if your _perfect_ best friend wasn't such a daily idiotic screw up to this herd as he was to his family than maybe I wouldn't be so irritated towards him all the time!" Manny yelled, finally losing his patience toward Carrie.

Abruptly, silence fills the area as Manny soon realizes what he said about Sid back there from his anger and fear.

"Really" Carrie firmly yet softly said. "And why is that you think that Sid's a screw-up? Hmm?"

Manny looks at the surprised faces of the herd even Ellie was fuming mad at Manny's comment before Manny tried to think of an answer but all he said was:

"I...well..."

"Well, what?" Carrie firmly pressed on. "Say what you want to say! I dare you!"

"It's just Sid...that's all" Manny grunted.

"I...I see...I'm very sorry I make you feel that way, Manny" Sid sadly apologized

"Sid" Carrie started.

"No, it's my fault this has happened..." Sid started before he sadly looks at the herd then leaves, feeling guilty for causing drama again with the herd.

"Sid..." Ellie started before turning to Manny and said in concern: "Go after him"

"He'll bounce back, he always does" Manny grumbled.

"Oh I don't think so" Dodger scoffed.

"What?" Manny asked.

"Just Sid, hmm? Well, then I guess _we're_ no longer your problem too!" Dodger angrily spatted at the bull mammoth.

"What are you talking about?" Manny asked in confusion.

"We're leaving and we're taking Sid with us" Dodger snapped.

"You can't leave; We're a herd" Ellie pleaded.

"Not anymore! Goodbye!" Dodger shook his head.

"Should I come with you, guys?" Leo asked.

"Maybe y-you should stay and l-look after the herd f-for u-us" Niamh whimpered

As the sloths without Leo started to leave much to the herd's objections, Carrie looked back and angrily said: "Look on the bright side, guys; at least you won't be dealing with trouble ever again"

"Guys, please don't go" Manny pleaded.

"Tell you what, Manny! We'll come back in the herd when you look less like a fuzzy hot-headed balloon" Carrie spatted at the bull mammoth.

"Hey!" Manny sternly snapped before he just scoffed: "Alright, go then! Be on your own, see if I care!"

"Manny!" Ellie snapped at her husband.

Soon Manny saw Peaches crying as he kneels and said: "It's going to be OK Peaches!"

"This is all your fault! I hate you!" Peaches angrily yelled and run back inside the sea cave.

"Peaches!" Both Ellie and Manny called out.

Buck just firmly shook his head at the bull mammoth before heading back inside as Diego and the twins sadly watch the sloths leave before heading back inside the cave too. Ellie just looked at Manny as she was very upset at what just happened and ashamed of how her husband acted to the sloths back there.

"...I hope you're happy, Manny..." Ellie firmly whispered before she leaves.

"Ellie...I never meant what I said...I was...I..." Manny tried to apologize for his anger outbursts.

As much as he was furious at Sid and Carrie, he did make the situation worse and he felt bad for the things he said due to his uncontrollable temper before he sighed: "What have I done? ... I have to set things right ... I just want this chaos to end ..."

As Manny heads back to the cave, Leo grinned evilly behind their backs and wickedly whispered to himself:

"This is perfect, now with the herd out of the way I can finally get my revenge and Victor can easily have the yellow sloth to himself for all I care"

* * *

**What happened next?**

**Stay tuned to find out!**


	15. Terrible Night

**Chapter 14: Terrible Night**

* * *

Nightfall came upon the group eventually as the sloths made a campfire straight where Sid first reunited with the sloth trio.

"Are you OK, Sid?" Dodger asked his friend in concern.

"No...but to be honest, It was my fault this happened" Sid sadly sighed.

"No, it wasn't! You did what you could to save Peaches! That fat mammoth acted like a complete jerk to you! You're better with us then with that herd" Carrie shook his head.

"You didn't have to throw insults and trash-talk the herd back there" Dodger firmly points out to his big sister.

"Well I'm sorry but that mammoth is the most ungrateful creature I've ever met in my entire life! Who does he think he is, treating Sid and I like that? I don't see him saving his family from those wolves" Carrie scoffed.

"Maybe so or maybe not but you should've learned to control your temper like Manny should've" Dodger argued.

"Hey! If anyone like Manny had a go at me about my friends and you, little brother, then don't be surprised that I snap back at them" Carrie argued back.

"S-Stop fighting! I-I d-don't like it when y-you guys fight all the time, please!" Niamh cried, shivering a bit.

"She's right, guys; no more fighting tonight, please?" Sid pleaded.

Carrie and Dodger calmed down before Dodger nodded: "Alright guys, we'll stop"

"Sorry" Carrie apologized to them both.

"Why are you guys still with me? After all that has happened?" Sid asked.

"Because we're your best friends, Sid and we stick together, no matter what" Carrie replied.

"I'm just scared if I screw up with you guys" Sid sighed.

"Even if you did, it won't change how we are with you" Dodger assured his buddy.

"It won't be like how you and your family were exiled out of the village because of those stupid vultures that attacked our village because of you getting my necklace back" Carrie added.

"Don't remind me..." Sid said as he remembers the day that he was blamed for letting the vultures attacked the village...

* * *

_It was after the attack of the vultures on the tribal sloth village as Leo's father, the leader of the village demanded: "How was responsible for letting those rats with wings attacked our precious village?"_

_Sid looks at the young Carrie who was scared that she'll be blamed for what happened with her necklace being taken by the vulture before the young Leo said: "It was Carrie! She had her necklace stolen and yelled insults at the bird, I saw it"_

_"Is that true, young lady?" The leader growled at the young female sloth._

_"I-I may have said bad things to the vulture b-but he stole my necklace" Carrie whimpered._

_Just before the leader could say anything else, Sid stepped in and exclaimed: "She had nothing to do with it, it was my fault, sire"_

_"You?!" The leader hissed at the ugly young sloth._

_"I was the one who accidentally got the vultures angry but...it was an accident" Sid explained._

_"An accident, eh? Well, you silly little runt; your accident nearly got the tribal out of control!" The leader yelled at Sid._

_"H-Have mercy on us, sire, he's only a foolish child" Milton, Sid's father, pleaded._

_"We'll teach him some manners and punish him for his foolish behavior" Eunice nervously giggled._

_"Be that as it may, I am sick of you lot and that thing causing a spectacular on my village for too long" The leader spatted._

_"Sir, be reasonable" Carrie's father spoke out._

_"Silence!" The leader barked before he growls at Sid's family: "As of today, you leave me no choice but to banish you lot out of my village forever!"_

_"No!" Young Carrie cried out._

_"Now leave this place and never come back!" The leader demanded as the tribal sloths chanted "Out" to Sid's family who had no choice but to shamefully leave the village forever._

_As Sid was being forcefully pulled away by his mother, Carrie runs to stop Sid from leaving but couldn't as the crowd gathered together, chasing them out of the village before Carrie loses sight of the young yellow sloth for the last time as she, Dodger and Niamh in their childhood forms, sadly cried for the departure of their dear best friend_

* * *

"You took the blame for me...why would you do that?" Carrie asked.

"Because it was my fault that the vultures were upset and I'm the reason they attacked the village" Sid sighed.

"Even if that was the truth, our leader should've never cast you out like that! He was a tyrant and a fiend" Carrie replied.

"Indeed he was, his stubbornness was what caused the wolves to attack in the first place and his lack of action was the reason half of our village was wiped out" Dodger added.

Carrie touches Sid's paw and said: "You are an amazing friend and I'm so happy you are to me"

"Thanks, you guys are the greatest friends I could've to ask for," Sid said as he hugs Carrie who eventually returns the hug.

She looks at Sid closely and can see the sparkle in his eyes before feeling warm within herself, she feels gleeful that Sid is her best friend, he is so kind, caring and even funny at times with her; with everything that has been happening, it's like Sid is a break from all the drama and chaos and feels that Sid is a thing to cherish to enjoy life and have fun in these dark times.

"Hmm...You know, if he cleans himself up more often and fix his hair up a bit, he'd be pretty cute"

Suddenly Carrie realized what she just thought before she imagines Sid in a river, washing himself all clean with his round belly, his slick back few-hairs, and the way his butt was round and clean in her mind, it made Carrie hot and blush before she realizes what was going on.

"Oh my goodness...I think I'm getting a crush on my best friend"

Sid looks at the beautiful pink sloth and thinks to himself: "If only I have a beautiful girl like Carrie but who am I kidding? She'd never fall for someone like me"

Niamh soon looks at Dodger happily watching his sister and Sid getting along more before she thought to herself: "Why does he have to be so handsome? Why does he have to be so strong? Why does he have to be so nice and friendly?! Why am I such a coward to tell him how I feel?!"

Eventually, the four sloths decided to call for the night as they slept soundly except for Carrie who keeps watches for anything out there but she too eventually falls asleep.

* * *

Meanwhile, at Forbidden Rock, Victor was glaring straight at the whimpering Carlotta who kneels beside her as he growls: "You couldn't even bring the yellow sloth to me as I ordered you to, all because of some bratty mammoth who hit you with a small log"

"T-To be fair, sire, that log hurt" Carlotta whimpered.

"You were my loyalist subject in my pack and yet you were defeated by that same sloth!" Victor yelled.

"H-He outsmarted you too, Victor" Carlotta pointed out.

Victor smacked Carlotta as she rolls on the ground from the hit as Victor snarls out: "I am surrounded by idiots"

"Sir" Balthazar started, watching from the distance on the small mountain.

"What now, Balthazar?!" Victor hissed.

"Leo has returned" Balthazar replied.

The three saw Leo walking up to them with a gleeful look on his face before Victor growled: "You better have something good to report to because your foolish plan to let Carlotta take that yellow sloth failed"

"It seems that the herd and the sloths including that freak are split up as I wanted them to, they won't have the herd's protection anymore" Leo reported.

"I see..." Victor's frown changes to an interesting grin before he adds: "And where are they now?"

"Oh...um...About that" Leo nervously started.

"You don't know where they are, do you" Victor growls in annoyance.

"Hey! I'm not exactly good friends with those guys and besides, they didn't want me to come" Leo explained. "Also I had to wait till the herd was asleep to sneak out to come here without exposing myself"

"Then what are we waiting for?! Let's find those sloths and finish the job! They couldn't have gone far" Carlotta snapped.

"Don't be so hasty, Carlotta; remember, those sloths are not like the others, they can defend themselves and besides, thanks to this red idiot here, we don't know where they reside" Victor explained. "No, we'll have to try and smoke that yellow sloth out of hiding from that sloth trio, make him come to us"

"Hey! We deal with that trio first. THEN you can have the yellow sloth" Leo growled.

"Fine..." Victor growled back.

"And just how are we going to do that, sir?" Balthazar asked, not liking what Victor might be planning.

"As I recall there was one member of that herd that everyone seems to love so much; that little brat Sid protected from...what was her name?" Victor replied.

"Peaches" Leo answered.

"Ah yes...Peaches; such a sweet name for a sweet little mammoth but like all peaches, they eventually get eaten to pieces" Victor evilly chuckled.

"You mean you're to kill her?" Balthazar asked in bewilderment.

"Not exactly, my tall friend; we capture her and we hold her life for ransom, it's the sloth trio or her" Victor coldly responded. "That should get them out of hiding and face us"

"And should they refused?" Leo asked.

"Oh, no one's that heartless to let a cute mammoth die...except for us, of course," Victor laughed.

"So how are we going to get that brat up here?" Carlotta asked.

"You leave that to me" Leo evilly chuckled.

* * *

**What happens next?**

**Stay tuned to find out!**


	16. Kidnapping

**Chapter 15: Kidnapping**

* * *

When Leo returned to the sea cave, he finds Peaches still awake and looking outside the ocean view of the cave in misery. The red sloth walks up to Peaches and said:

"Now why are you up so late, young lady?"

"Oh...hi Mister Leo; I just miss my Uncle Sid, that's all" Peaches sadly sniffed.

"You miss him that much, do you?" Leo asked, sitting down beside the female mammoth.

"I do, it's just not the same without him" Peaches sobbed.

"Well it's funny you should say that because I just found out where your uncle and the others are at," said Leo.

"You do?" Peaches asked with high hopes.

"Yes, they are not too far away" Leo replied.

"Can you take me to see Uncle Sid?" Peaches asked.

"Hmm...I don't know, it's way too late and what would your parents think?" Leo asked, trying to let Peaches persuade him to take her with him.

"Please, Mister Leo, I just want to see my Uncle Sid and then I'll go to bed, please" Peaches begged.

Leo soon after a planned pause, nodded and said: "Very well but we mustn't tell your parents or anyone about this, OK?"

"OK" Peaches nodded.

"Follow me then and stay close," said Leo before he starts to lead Peaches to Victor's trap, unbeknown to the young mammoth.

Eventually, Leo and Peaches reach Forbidden Rock which causes the young mammoth to feel very uneasy with the eerie scenario that she's walking into with Leo. By the time they reached it, Peaches asked Leo: "A-Are you sure Uncle Sid and the others are here, Mister Leo?"

"Sure, they are" Leo nodded before he points to the small dark cave inside. "They are just inside that small cave"

"T-They're inside that d-dark cave" Peaches whimpered, not liking the dark cave ahead of her.

"They're all properly asleep by now" Leo shrugged and then leans closer to her and whispered: "You sure you want to come back tomorrow and see him?"

"N-No, I want to see Uncle Sid now" Peaches shook his head.

"Then go inside and see him" Leo motion Peaches to go inside.

Peaches frightfully take a few steps closer to the dark cave, nervously turns to Leo who just gives Peaches a wide grin and nodded for her to go on. Eventually the small mammoth heads inside the dark cave but to find nothing inside; She looks around, trembling in fear, and calls out: "U-Uncle Sid? Are you in here?"

Suddenly she turns back to find Carlotta lunging in front of her and lets out a loud shrieking giggle: "Surprise!"

The poor child screams in terror as she was cornered to the wall, shivering and whimpering before she sees Leo and cried out: "Mister Leo! Help me!"

The red sloth just smirked evilly however and mocked: "Sorry dear but you shouldn't trust and listen to strangers"

"W-What?!" Peaches whimpered.

Just then the two villains moved aside, letting Victor walk towards the fragile mammoth in front of him as he looks down with a wicked sneer and in a low growl, he said: "So you must be Peaches"

The young mammoth frantically nodded and the alpha wolf lowers his head down, stares at Peaches with his cold red pupil eyes, and adds: "Welcome to Forbidden Rock, my dear..."

* * *

The next morning, Manny was awake by heavy shaking by his wife as he can see Ellie panicking out: "Manny! Wake up! Wake up right now!"

"Ellie...? What's the matter?" Manny yawned.

"It's Peaches! She's gone!" Ellie cried out.

"Gone?!" Manny exclaimed, fully awaken at that point before he got up and asked: "What do you mean she's gone?!"

"She's nowhere in the cave!" Ellie panicked. "I had her right by my side, asleep with me last night and when I woke up, she's gone!"

"She's not in the cave!" Diego called out, having searched the entire sea cave.

"She's not outside ether!" Buck also called out, returning with the possum twins.

Ellie turns to Leo who was helping Diego look for Peaches as she asked: "Leo! You came back late last night, was Peaches with me when you were gone?"

"Yes! When I got back, she was right there, sleeping with you" Leo lied as he pretends to panic for the sake of hiding his true colors.

"No! She has to be somewhere! She couldn't have disappeared like that!" Manny yelled out as he bolts outside and calls out for Peaches.

The herd went outside and starts yelling out for Peaches until they heard a loud eerie laugh above them as they turn around to see Victor, standing on top of one of the hills.

"Oh my, oh my...What's this?" Victor evilly chuckled.

"Victor!" Diego lowly growled.

"So you guys remember me? Aww, I'm touched" Victor mocked.

"How did you find us?!" Leo demanded, still playing the part of the friend of the herd.

"Well since your ugly friend got the better of my loyal companion, do you think she would not tell me where you guys might be at?" Victor scoffed.

"What do you want, Victor?" Buck snapped.

"What do you think I want? I want the one you called Sid and those other three you took in...where are they?" Victor dangerously demanded with a scowl on his face.

"We don't know where they are" Crash answered the alpha wolf.

"They left us on their own last night" Eddie added.

"What?" Victor growled.

"It's true, they're gone and we don't know where they are" Manny firmly spoke.

Victor soon just laugh coldly and eerily said: "Oh dear...what an unfortunate situation, that's going to be a problem for all of us then"

"What do you mean?" Ellie asked in concern about how Victor spoke.

"You see, last night; I had a strange visitor who waltzes into my domain, thinking that her uncle was there and unfortunately for her, she's now imprisoned on my mountain...Now, what was her name?" Victor evilly explained.

It was with that moment that the herd looked at the alpha wolf in horror that they're realizing that Peaches might have been kidnapped by Victor himself, even though Leo tricked the young mammoth to coming to Forbidden Rock.

"Ah yes...Peaches" Victor sneered at the mammoth parents before revealing a fluff of Peaches' hair that he ripped from her and then adds: "Recognise this?"

As soon as he drops the fluff of hair from the hill to the sandy ground, Leo picked it up and had Diego sniffed to track the scent from it as he then in terror and fury, growls loudly at Victor: "That bastard! He kidnapped Peaches!"

"No!" Ellie gasped out in horror.

"You...!" Manny growled in livid rage.

"Oh don't worry about Peaches, she's still alive and unharmed...for now" Victor wickedly laughed.

Manny then trumpets loudly in fury and then uses his trunk to throw beach rocks straight at Victor as he screams: **"GIVE ME BACK MY DAUGHTER!"**

As he was about to throw another rock, Victor roared out: **_"One more rock thrown at me and you can say goodbye to your precious little brat!"_**

Manny regains control when he sees the tearful pleading face of his wife and eventually, whilst not losing his hatred glare upon the alpha wolf, places the rock down as the wolf smirked deviously and chuckled: "That's better"

"What do you want?!" Manny angrily exclaimed.

"Have you not been paying attention, you ignorant fool?! I want Sid and those other sloths brought to me and you lot will find them unless of course, you don't wish to have your precious Peaches back" Victor furiously exclaimed back.

"We told you! We don't know where they are!" Ellie cried out.

"Then you'll have to find them or else..." Victor snarled.

"You won't get away with this" Diego snapped.

"Just watch me..." Victor started before he stood up and lowly growled to the herd: "You have until nightfall to find the sloths and bring them to me at Forbidden Rock or the last thing that whiny little brat will see before she dies is my teeth ripping into her flesh as I tear her limb from limb!"

"If you lay one single claw on my daughter-!" Manny threatened.

"You'll do what?!" Victor exclaimed. "Have you idiots not realized it by now that I hold your daughter's life within my grasp?"

"We'll stop you before you can even hurt her" Buck vowed.

"You're trying my patience...so that's the deal, Find the sloths, bring them to me before nightfall or it's bedtime for Peaches...forever!" Victor threatened before he left the herd all alone.

The bull paces back and forth as he growls: "That monster! If he hurts Peaches then he'll the one I'll tear limb from limb!"

"Manny, it's OK!" Diego stopped Manny from pacing furiously. "We will find her and we will save her, I promise"

"But we can't give Sid and the others to Victor, we have to come up with something that doesn't let Victor have his way" Ellie cried out.

"We have to find them, put aside what happened last night, and worked together to save Peaches," said Buck.

"But where can we find them?" Crash asked the weasel.

"It'll take forever to find the others on the island" Eddie worryingly added.

"Diego, can you try and track Sid's scent?" Ellie asked.

"I can, but it makes my eyes burn" Diego nervously said.

"Do it!" Both Manny and Ellie demanded.

Diego sighed before he smells to track Sid's scent until he catches the foul odor, reacting in disgust before he gags out: "This way..."

As Diego reluctantly tracks down Sid, the herd starts rushing as fast as they can to find the sloths and hopefully find a way to save Peaches from Victor.

* * *

**What happens next?**

**Stay tuned to find out!**


	17. The False Friend

**Chapter 16: The False Friend**

* * *

Meanwhile back at the cave, Carrie was tossing and turning in her sleep, suffering from another nightmare as she was back at the flooded village but this time she was underwater as the corpses of her parents, Dodger, Niamh, the herd and Sid float around as it was torturing her mind that the people she cared for are dead in the water because of her as she tries to swim up to the surface but cannot seem to go up, no matter how hard she tried.

Suddenly she felt a paw grabbing her as she looks down to see Victor alive underwater and growling: "You think you can escape your mistakes, Carrie?!"

And with that, Carrie bolted wide awake as she pants heavily and shudders at the nightmare she suffered before getting up and tried to ease her mind outside the morning dew grassland with the sun rising to the sky.

As the pink sloth was relaxing by the river, later on, sharping her spear, Sid dreamily watches her from the entrance of the small cave.

"Carrie is so beautiful, so kind, and yet she's so badass; I'd give anything to have someone as wonderful like her, or maybe be with her..." Sid sighed.

"Well, well, well!"

Sid bolted his head to see Dodger standing next to him with a smirk on his face as the yellow sloth nervously asked the tall sloth.

"How long have you been there?"

"Long enough to know that you have a crush on my big sister" Dodger chuckled.

"I-I can explain-!" Sid stuttered.

"It's OK, Sid, I understand; you're in love with my sister, it's cool" Dodger responded with a shrug.

"You're not mad or anything?" Sid asked.

"Not really, I find it sweet that you like my sister" Dodger replied.

"Thanks but I doubt she would even like me back if I told how I feel about her" Sid heavily sighed out.

"What do you mean?" Dodger asked.

"Look at her! She's so beautiful and smart and I'm...well..." Sid mumbled.

"You're not that bad-looking; I've seen worst and, not being disrespectful, but maybe if you clean yourself more often then you'll look healthier and handsome to Carrie" Dodger advises his best friend.

"You think so?" Sid asked.

"Try it, you might be surprised" Dodger winked.

"O-OK, I'll do that now" Sid happily said as he goes for a clean bath at another river.

Niamh waddles up to Dodger and asked: "W-What just h-happened?"

"It seems Sid is in love with Carrie here," Dodger said with a happy smile at the yellow sloth.

"R-Really?" Niamh asked.

"Yep," Dodger nodded.

"D-D-Does Carrie know?" Niamh asked.

"Not yet but I think Sid will tell her eventually" Dodger replied.

"W-Would she l-love him back?" Niamh questioned the tall sloth.

"Who knows; who knows, my friend" Dodger shrugged and pats Niamh on the back.

* * *

Later on during the day, Carrie was relaxing by one of the trees near the herd's old cave before she saw Sid, to her surprise, all cleaned up with his fur all bright yellow without a trace of dirt and fungus on the yellow sloth.

"Sid...? Did you just had a bath?" Carrie asked in bewilderment.

"Yeah, how do I look?" Sid nervously asked.

"You look great; you should clean yourself more often" Carrie nodded in amusement.

"Your brother did say that to me this morning" Sid sheepishly chuckled.

"I see" Carrie chuckled with him.

"Um, Carrie...Can I talk to you for a minute?" Sid asked.

"Sure, have a seat" Carrie shrugged, as the yellow sloth sat beside her, the pink sloth then asked: "So what do you wanna talk to me about?"

"Well...It's kinda something I wanted to tell you for quite for some time now" Sid nervously started, fidgeting his paws.

"And that is?" Carrie asked.

Sid took a deep breath and exhaled before he began with:

"Carrie...When I met you, we did get off to a rocky start but looking back from there to now, I am so glad to have met you and be part of your group. You are so caring and so courageous that you inspire me to be who I want to be and I couldn't ask for someone like you to be part of my life"

"Well thanks, Sid, I like you too; you're a great friend" Carrie thanked as she pats Sid on the head.

"Listen to me please; it's just...for a while now I've been feeling things that I thought would never happen to me. I feel so happy, so courageous even when I'm scared and you make me feel like I'm better than what others tell me I'm not when I'm with you. You make my body warm up when I'm with you, I lose thought and mind when I see how beautiful you are and you are awesome when it comes to fighting bad guys like Victor that I someday hope to be with someone like you" Sid continued.

"Sid..." Carrie spoke out as she's beginning to suspect what Sid's trying to say, much to her shock.

Sid looked straight at Carrie's eyes and with all the courage he could master, he finally spoke out: "Carrie...I'm in love with you"

Carrie looks at Sid with widened eyes as she backs away from Sid and coughs out: "W-What?!"

"I love you, Carrie! I do! I know I'm not handsome or strong or brave at times but to me, you're the most beautiful, the most amazing and the most wonderful person I have ever met in my entire life! You understand me so much and I feel like I can do anything when I'm with you, I may not be what you wish for but I'll do anything to make you happy and everything that you wanted in your life, Carrie" Sid confessed his love to Carrie.

Carrie was surprised that Sid, the only mammal who ever stood by her since the beginning she met him even though she didn't like him in the past, loves her. It was so much for Carrie to take in, granted it was true Sid was not handsome or strong but there was something in Sid that made Carrie like him for who he is and yet she couldn't help but feel afraid of what would happen if she accepted Sid's love.

What if she never loves Sid back? What if she doesn't have the strength to stay with Sid? And most of all, what would happen if Sid gets killed by Victor to cause more harm to Carrie as he did with her parents?

"Sid...I...It's just...Sid...I-" Carrie gasped out, not sure of what to say.

"What do you mean?" Sid replied in concern.

Fear overtakes Carrie's mind as she just spoke out: "I-I can't, I just can't"

"W-Why? Is it me? I-I can change for you, I won't ask you to do much for me" Sid stuttered.

"N-No...I just...I...I...I don't wanna talk about it" Carrie sighed before she walks off.

"Carrie, wait!" Sid called out.

"I just can't! ... I'm sorry, Sid" Carrie sadly said and leaves Sid alone.

The poor yellow sloth just stood there, sadly heartbroken by Carrie's rejection before he sadly whimpered: "I knew it...I knew it wasn't meant to be..."

* * *

Carrie continues walking as that was too much for her to take but on the other hand, she looks back and feels guilty for just leaving Sid without much of an answer or explanation as she had to urge to go back and talk with Sid again properly before she heard the others talking with someone.

She sees Dodger and Niamh with the herd and Leo, much to her annoyance since they just left the herd after their big fight last night; Carrie then walks straight at them and demanded: "What is going on here?"

The herd, Dodger, and Niamh looked at Carrie before the pink sloth notice the tense around the group as she looks on in confusion and asked: "What's wrong?"

"It's Peaches, she's being kidnapped by Victor" Dodger sadly answered.

"What?! No! Since when?!" Carrie gasped in horror.

"Since last night..." Ellie sadly sniffed. "And he...he came to us with a proposition"

"What did Victor wanted?" Carrie asked Manny.

"He wanted you guys in exchange for Peaches" Manny responded, still angry at the situation at hand.

"But mostly he wants Sid alone" Leo points out.

Carrie gasped at that point, quickly glances at Sid up where she left him as she became defensive for Sid and snapped: "No, he can't have him! If he wants Sid, he'll have to fight me for him"

At that point, Carrie wonders if she truly did love Sid as she just admits to herself that she kind of had a crush on the strange yellow sloth. Her thoughts were distracted when Manny said: "We're not going to do as Victor says but we cannot let Peaches get hurt!"

"We'll help you guys" Dodger agreed.

Carrie knew this was a time of need to help the herd before she nodded and said: "Dodger's right, we'll help you get Peaches back"

"Thank you" Manny thanked.

"Now we cannot bring Sid with us because if Victor wants Sid then he'll be expecting us with him," said Carrie.

"Which means someone needs to stay behind and watch out for Sid" Diego pointed out.

"I'll do it" Leo volunteered.

"You will?" Carrie asked.

"Of course, he's my friend too. I can protect him while you guys find Forbidden Rock and save Peaches" said Leo.

"Thanks, buddy, you're the best" Dodger thanked.

"Yeah, thanks, Leo" Ellie thanked.

"Where is the lad?" Leo asked.

"Up there" Carrie pointed Leo to where Sid is.

Leo just nodded and heads up to Sid where the herd and the sloths start planning on how to save Peaches.

* * *

Leo then sees Sid with tears in his eyes as the red sloth sat beside him and begins the next part of his devious plan that Victor and Leo planned last night when they captured Peaches.

"Hey Sid, what's the problem?" Leo asked.

"H-Hi Leo, sorry...I just...I told Carrie that...I loved her" Sid sniffed.

"I see...And judging how this looks...she didn't love you back, did she" Leo nodded.

"I-I don't know, she said she didn't want to talk about it and she just can't...I don't get it, did I do something wrong?" Sid sadly asked.

"Sid...I think it's time I tell you the truth" Leo started.

"The truth?" Sid asked in confusion.

"The truth is...Carrie doesn't like you; she never did" Leo lied to poison Sid's mind with his toxic words.

"W-What?" Sid asked in bewilderment.

"It's true, she never cared for you ether did Dodger and Niamh" Leo shrugged.

"B-But I thought they were my-" Sid stuttered.

"Best friends? I wish it were so but sadly they never cared for you even as children; they despise you, Sid. They hated you from the very beginning, you were never friends with them, to begin with. They told me so themselves" Leo sliver-tongue his way to hurt Sid more.

"W-W-What did they say?" Sid gasped out.

"They say you are the worst friend they have ever met in their life, bar none! They cannot stand how ugly, stupid, and disgusting you are to them. The only reason they hang out with you because they didn't want to look bad in front of everyone just like your herd was...Why did you think Carrie rejected you? I mean, look at you, they're not wrong about you, you know" Leo coldly added.

Sid couldn't believe what he was hearing, his spirit and heart were breaking more and more as he was beginning to feel so lonely, so loveless, so useless before he feels like he was just nothing and will never be anything but a useless parasite to the world.

"I'm sorry, Sid but I thought you had the right to know..." Leo lied.

Sid begins to cry before he looks at Leo and sobs: "It can't be true!"

"Open your eyes, Sid; They were relieved when you were gone from the village, you can pretend that they are happy to see you again but really, they don't even want to do anything for you, they just felt obligated to do keep you around like the herd does because they don't want to seen as the bad guys to you and I'm sorry...but that's the truth, you don't have anyone to care about you and you never will...not the herd, not your family, not even Carrie..." Leo coldly scoffed.

Sid suddenly felt a paw knocking him out cold before Leo can see Victor grinning evilly at the unconscious sloth and hissed: "Finally; I have you in my grasp"

"Well it's about time, I was suspecting to think you lost us when you were following us back then" Leo grumbled.

"Oh shut up, I was rather enjoying how much you were reducing that ugly thing to tears" Victor scoffed.

"Now take that thing and go back to Forbidden Rock before anyone sees us" Leo hissed.

"And what of the others? Once they find out their precious Sid is gone then they'll suspect something" Victor hissed back.

"Not to worry, I'll have them trapped before you know it; just stick to the plan we have, remember?" Leo grinned deviously at the alpha wolf.

"You better be right about that" Victor growled and takes the unconscious Sid back to Forbidden Rock.

* * *

Leo soon heads to the herd, perfectly panicking to fool the others as he cried out: "Guys, I cannot find Sid!"

"What?" The herd exclaimed.

"How can that be? He was right up there where I last saw him" Carrie shouted.

"Come with me" Leo motioned the herd to follow him.

The herd then sees paw prints on the snow that looked like Victor as Diego sniffed the tracks and growled: "It's Victor! He was here!"

"S-S-So that means h-he has S-Sid too?!" Niamh cried.

"No! It cannot be!" Carrie exclaimed in fear for her dear friend.

"We have to hurry if we're going save both Sid and Peaches!" Manny exclaimed.

"I know the way to Forbidden Rock! Follow me!" Leo announced and starts to lead the group.

"Wait, how do you know where Forbidden Rock is?" Manny asked the red sloth suspiciously.

Leo stopped, having realized what he just said before he quickly covers it up by saying: "Because I was once captured by Victor and brought to Forbidden Rock; he was about to kill me when I used my cunning skills and strength to fought him and escaped. Not an easy task to do, mind you"

"Wow, you're one tough guy" Buck nodded in amusement.

"Don't remind me, I was once the son of the tribal leader of our village; you have to know these things to survive;" Leo said to the herd.

"Alright; lead the way, Leo," said Manny.

"Of course" Leo nodded as he got in front and starting leading the herd, unknowingly to them, into a trap that he and the wolves have set up for them

* * *

**What happens next?**

**Stay tuned to find out!**


	18. Trapped

**Chapter 17: Trapped**

* * *

Meanwhile, Sid slowly comes to from being unconscious as he looks around to see that he was tied up to two logs like a scarecrow and tries to get out of the vines that are trapping him before he felt a slap on the face by a tail as he looks up to see Carlotta giggling evilly at him and mocks: "Naughty, naughty. you don't wanna anger the master more by escaping"

"W-Where am I?!" Sid panicked.

He then sees Victor next to him as the alpha wolf coldly spoke: "You are at Forbidden Rock, my domain"

"V-Victor..." Sid gulped.

"You remember my name then, How thoughtful of you" Victor mocked.

"But wait, it gets even better" Carlotta laughed before she reveals Peaches with vines wrapped around her body to a giant rock near the edge of the mountain.

"Peaches!" Sid cried out.

"Uncle Sid! Help me!" Peaches sobbed.

"Your precious uncle can't save you now" Carlotta mocked the young mammoth.

Sid pleadingly looks at Victor and begs: "Please don't hurt her, she didn't do anything wrong"

"Oh don't you worry" Victor chuckled. "She won't be hurt as long as she does as she's told and not try to escape then she'll be fine"

"What do you want from me?" Sid demanded.

"Do you see this scar?!" Victor growled. "You did this to me and now I want revenge for what you've done to me"

"Don't you dare hurt my uncle!" Peaches yelled.

"Hush or I'll slash your little trunk again" Carlotta growled at the young mammoth.

"Now don't be too hard on her, she can't do anything to stop me" Victor evilly chuckled.

While Carlotta evilly watches Victor toying with Sid; Balthazar, who cannot bear to see any harm to Peaches from the wicked wolves, privately cuts the vines off from the rock, untying her.

Victor then looks at Carlotta and said: "Carlotta, since you were outsmarted by that thing here, you can have the first strike"

"Ooooh thank you, master!" Carlotta excitedly giggled.

"No! Don't hurt him!" Peaches cried out.

"I'll deal with you later" Carlotta wickedly laughed at the young mammoth before she goes up to Sid and sneered at him: "Now which part of that ugly body should I attack first?"

The female wolf pokes at Sid's body roughly with her claws and said in a squeaky voice: "Eeny, meeny, miny,..."

As soon as she touches Sid's belly, it made a rumbling noise before Carlotta grinned deviously and growled out: "Moe!"

She then punches Sid on the belly which accidentally made Sid let out a large burp as the foul odor from Sid's mouth stings Carlotta's eyes as she screams out: "My eyes! That horrible smell! Gah! My nose!"

As she falls back, she accidentally bumps into Victor as they roll down near the edge of the mountain and were struggling to get back up from being tangled by the bump in.

"Get off me, you idiot!" Victor snapped.

"I can't! I can't see where I'm going!" Carlotta cried as her eyes still sting from the odor.

Peaches soon realize she was free when she moved a bit to get out before she rushes to Sid and attempts to free him but Sid stopped her and said:

"Peaches, no! Get out of here! Go!"

"No! I'm not leaving you!" Peaches refused.

"Peaches, please! Do this for me" Sid begged.

"B-But!" Peaches whimpered, worried for her uncle.

"I'll be fine! Now go!" Sid cried out.

Peaches stood back in tears, not wanting to leave her uncle like this before Sid cried out again: "Go now!"

The sobbing young mammoth fled from the mountain as fast as she could before Victor and Carlotta got back up as the alpha wolf growled:

"And this is why I don't let you do things with me"

"S-Sorry master" Carlotta apologized.

Victor then turns to Sid and evilly chuckles: "Not a bad move, sloth but now it's my turn to have some fun"

"Um...sir' Carlotta whimpered.

"What is it now?" Victor groaned in annoyance.

"About that little brat, she's gone" Carlotta whimpered again.

"What?!" Victor snapped as he turns to see that Peaches is gone.

"Where is she?!" The alpha wolf demanded before he goes over the edge of the cliff to see the young mammoth fleeing into the forest. He turns to Balthazar and yells out: "After her! Don't let her escape!"

"Yes sir" Balthazar bowed before he chases after Peaches but had no intention of capturing her.

"She got away" Sid sighed in relief.

This made Victor viciously growled at Sid before he storms up to the tied up sloth, grabbed his neck, and yells: "Where is she going?! What have you told her?!"

Sid did not answer as Victor smacked him in the face and bellowed: "Answer me! Where has that brat run off to?!"

Sid looked up to the wolf, knowing that there is no escape and since he is convinced that the herd and his best friends never loved him because of Leo, he firmly mumbled: "I don't need to answer to you, I don't have anything that you desire..."

Victor just glared at the tied up sloth before he snarls: "I'm going to enjoy torturing you before I kill you gruesomely..." as he then brings his sharp claws closer to Sid's face.

Carlotta grins wickedly as she watches Victor beginning to torture the poor sloth in gruesome ways that made the sloth screams echo all around the mountain...

* * *

Meanwhile, the herd was still following Leo as the red sloth eventually takes them to the gloomy cave; Inside of the cave was large but rather dark with little light inside. There was a giant ledge where the rest of the cave was down below as the other side of the cave's entrance was blocked with boulders that are rooted in vines.

"Are you sure this is Forbidden Rock?" Carrie asked.

"I don't see Peaches or Sid or even Victor" Manny said, looking around desperately for Peaches.

"Leo...are you sure this is the right place?" Dodger asked the red sloth.

Suddenly the rocks that the group was standing on breaks down as the herd and the sloths fall to the bottom of the giant cave, tumbling roughly to the ground as they got up, groaning and grunting in pain from the fall.

"Is everyone alright?" Manny asked the herd in concern as everyone eventually voice their agreement while a little sore yet they are unharmed.

"Such a shame, really"

The group looks up to Leo with a sharp rock and ripped vines as the evil red sloth mocked: "But then again, you won't last a day or two in here without tearing each other apart"

"L-Leo? W-What are you d-d-doing?" Niamh whimpered.

'W-W-What am I doing?" Leo mocked before he angrily growled: "I am finally getting my revenge on you three for ruining everything that I was promised back at home"

"Have you lost your mind, Leo?!" Carrie angrily snapped.

"Of course not; I just play my part and you all fall for it, hook, line and sinker, just as I promised Victor I would" Leo evilly chuckled.

"What?! You...You're working with Victor?!" Manny angrily exclaimed.

"Of course I am! You think Victor and Carlotta finding you were just coincidences? They all knew where you were because I made it possible! And let's face it, did you think Victor would come and snatch Peaches and Sid like that away? Of course not!" Leo coldly explained.

"You lured my daughter to Victor?!" Manny bellowed.

"You should've seen the look on her stupid face when she found out what was going on...I just couldn't believe how desperately dumb she was to believe in me, she's dumber than Sid himself" Leo evilly laughed.

"You...!" Manny growled and was about to rage at the red sloth.

"Leo, you backstabbing traitor! If I ever catch you, I'm going to break every bone of your filthy body and throw you deep into the ocean to drown below, you hear me?!" Ellie angrily screamed.

"Yeah, can you also tell your husband to lose weight while you're at it? Thanks" Leo mocked the mammoths.

"You cowardly sleazy mother-!" Manny furiously exclaimed.

"Why, Leo?! I thought we were your best friends!" Dodger yelled.

"We were no friends, to begin with! You were nothing but thorns in my sight with your despicable family, causing idiotic spectacles against my father and my potential rule in the village but now all of that is gone because of your stupid sister!" Leo yelled back.

"What is he talking about?" Buck asked the pink sloth.

"Do you know why the village was flooded that night? It was because of that stubborn pink sloth! She was the one who caused the flood that night and it's because of her, my kingdom and my home are destroyed and now like Victor, I want revenge!" Leo growled.

"Is that true, Carrie?" Buck asked.

Carrie didn't even answer but stare down in shame before Dodger shouted at Leo:

"You're insane! Even if Carrie did flood the village, Killing us won't bring back the pack or the village"

"Maybe not but it should've been just your family that died that night because after all, I did plan it for the wolves to come" Leo sneered.

"You were working with Victor beforehand the entire time the wolves were slaughtering our village?!" Carrie snapped in bewilderment.

"Of course! Who do you reckon let the wolves into the village and rid of half the idiots I hated there? I did; That throne was mine and mine alone, of course, I'd had to deal with my father if I wanted the throne when I come to age but ever since that night after I hid away from the chaos, I return to find that you took everything that was meant to be mine and I swore to kill you three if it was the last thing I do!" Leo ranted.

"So that's how you escaped!" Dodger growled. "You went into hiding outside the village while the wolves did the dirty work for you!"

"Correct! Oh...and um...do you remember that time the vultures' attack?" Leo evilly chuckled.

"That was...?" Niamh whimpered.

"Bingo!" Leo evilly laughed. "Before I made the deal with the wolves, I had connections with the vultures to let them have what they want to eat, in exchange I let them kill who I order to kill but unfortunately that stupid leader had to be interested in Carrietta's dumb necklace".

"Carrietta?" The herd asked.

"Oh, yeah! I forgot about that name, it was her nickname and it mostly peeved her off," Dodger chuckled.

"Shut up, Dodger!" Carrie snapped before she turns to Leo and snapped at him: "So everything that has happened to our village including the vultures' attack resulting in getting Sid exile was you?!"

"Well granted I did break the deal with the vultures after that stupid sloth got your necklace back and the leader had a fit at me and didn't just take no for an answer and quite honestly I was trying to get rid of you and your family out but that dumb sloth had to take the blame to save you" Leo shrugged.

"You are twice as dumb than Sid ever will be" Carrie yelled.

"Enough! I may never get my throne but I'll settle for your deaths just like what's going to happen to that precious little Peaches of yours" Leo evilly sneered at the herd.

"Peaches!" Ellie gasped.

"So long, you fools!" Leo laughed evilly as he left before calling out in a mocking tone: "I'll make sure Peaches gets your goodbye message before Victor eats her apart"

"Nooooooo!" Manny screamed as he tried as hard as he can to escape but couldn't climb up the steep rocky walls of the cave before Leo closes the top entrance with another cave-in, trying the herd inside.

* * *

Meanwhile, Peaches was hiding in the forest, looking for the sea cave to return to her family before she bumps into Balthazar who stares down at the shivering mammoth.

"D-Don't hurt me, please!" Peaches whimpered. "Don't take me back to that evil wolf"

"Don't worry, I won't do that" Balthazar gently assured her.

"W-What?" Peaches asked.

"Come with me; I'll take you back to your family," Balthazar told the young mammoth.

"No! You're lying! You're just like that evil sloth that tricked me!" Peaches cried as she tries to run away again.

Balthazar caught up with Peaches again and gently, he spoke: "I know you don't trust me but I was the one who freed you from those vines back there"

"Y-You did that...f-for me?" Peaches said as she tilts her head in confusion.

"Yes, I was about to do the same for your uncle but Victor spotted me before I can do anything else and you'd be slaughtered by him if you didn't run off like your uncle told you to" Balthazar replied.

"You're not like the other wolves, aren't you" Peaches slowly approaches the large wolf.

"No, I'm not a monster like you think I am" Balthazar shook his head.

"Then help me save Uncle Sid" Peaches cried.

"I will do that but first we'll need your family's help. I know where they are but we must hurry" Balthazar responded.

"C-Can I trust you?" Peaches stuttered in fear.

"You must, it's the only way to save your uncle," Balthazar said before he starts walking away then turns to Peaches and asked: "Are you coming?"

* * *

**What happens next?**

**Stay tuned to find out!**


	19. Breakdown

**Chapter 18: Breakdown**

* * *

Manny angrily kept banging on the caved entrance, trying to get out to which Ellie tries her best to stop Manny from hurting himself.

"Manny, stop! This is not helping!" Ellie exclaimed.

"I have to get out! I have to stop that beast from killing our daughter!" Manny yelled as he desperately bashes the block entrance again and again with no avail.

"Just stop it, Manny! You're only going to get brain damage at this rate" Carrie grunted as she was fuming at the fact her so-called friend was a traitor all along.

"Oh don't you start! If you hadn't brought those wolves to our herd, none of this would've ever happened and my daughter would've been safe with me now" Manny angrily vented at Carrie.

"How dare you! Do you think I ask for this to happen or are you that idiotic as you are overweight?!" Carrie snapped at the bull mammoth.

"Guys, stop it! This is not helping anyone!" Dodger angrily scolded the two mammals.

"Back off, golly green giant!" Manny spatted at the green sloth.

"Right, you know what-!" Dodger firmly started before eventually the whole herd got into an argument with each other about everything that is happening that is only making the whole situation worse.

Niamh looks around at the arguing herd to her best friend and her crush fighting as she tries to block out the screaming and yelling from the crowd as she never liked seeing anyone arguing and yelling at each other. Her anxiety levels were raising off the chart as she begins to hyperventilated and begins to suffer a panic attack.

The poor blue sloth begins whimpering: "Stop, p-please stop, p-p-please! P-Please! S-S-S-Stop!"

She shook like a tremor, her heart was pounding faster with her rapidly breathing heavily from her panic attack. Niamh continues whimpering and sobbing, her panic attack grows worse and worse from all the intense shout-fest that was going on when suddenly and unexpectedly, the blue sloth screams at the top of her lungs:

**_"SHUUUUUUUUUT-UUUUUUUUUUUUUUUP!"_**

Everyone abruptly ceased all noise and movement at that high-pitched scream; they all slowly turn their heads to see Niamh, panting heavily, fuming with exploded anger as she angrily shrieks out:

_**"Shut up! Shut up! SHUT THE HECK UP!"**_

"N-Niamh?" Carrie softly stuttered.

"**_No! Just shut up! Why can't you all stop fighting?! I am sick of everyone screaming and fighting over everything!_**" Niamh shrieked out again.

"Niamh, calm down" Carrie tried to calm her best friend.

The pink sloth was suddenly met with a sharp slap to her face by Niamh who growled: "Don't you tell me to calm down, you grouchy snarky moron!"

Carrie stared at her best friend with the herd in utter bewilderment, this was not how Niamh normally acts as it somehow scares the group a tad bit. It wasn't until Niamh looks at Manny and starts her rant at him:

"First of all, you are the most stubborn mammoth I've ever met! Why is it when things go wrong, you always yell at us and act like it's either Sid's or our fault!"

"Look, Niamh-" Manny started.

"Awwww I am so fat; Awww, that stupid sloth can't do anything right; Awww, my poor baby got hurt so now I'm a big meanie jerk to those I hate! Boo, hoo, hoo!" Niamh mocked the bull mammoth.

"Hey!" Ellie angrily snapped at the blue sloth, stepping forward to her. "That was WAY uncalled for, Niamh!"

"Screw off, Ellie, I don't care if it's uncalled for!" Niamh snapped back at Ellie before going back at Manny: "Listen here, mister! I get that you want to protect your family from anything bad and all that; I get it, but just because you're stubborn and things like this happened does not give you the right to act like a complete jerk to everyone you don't like! You'd like it if I did that to you, Huh?! HUH?!"

"I...um...well...I...um...Well-!" Manny stuttered as he was lost of words.

"Well, what?!" Niamh snapped. "Is my temper scaring you as your temper scares me?!"

"Sorry, It's just you were always just shy yet nice to me; I didn't take you to be this angry and loud, that's all" Manny gulped.

**"I'M NICE TO EVERYONE!**" Niamh angrily and loudly exclaimed.

Buck turns to Dodger who was dumbfounded by this as the weasel asked: "Has she ever act like this before?"

"Nope, never" Dodger shook his head, completely buffered by Niamh's freak-out.

"Niamh, just take a breather" Diego tried to calm the blue sloth down.

"Listen, I do not take advice from scary predators" Niamh growled at Diego.

"I may be a saber but I'm not made of stone, I'm not going to hurt you" Diego tried to reason with Niamh.

"Well forgive me for not believing you but you're a saber-tooth tiger! You eat mammals like me for breakfast! Every time I see you, it reminds me of the night my parents was slaughtered right in front of me because of predators such as you! So forgive me if I'm not being too comfortable around you" Niamh scoffed.

"Hey! I am not that monstrous as you think I am" Diego firmly snapped as he got in front of Niamh.

"Oh yeah because you're such a soft kitty cat, who's a cute kitty cat? Who's a cutie little..." Niamh mocked as she pats Diego hard on the head, causing him to get fully irritated and roars straight at Niamh.

The blue sloth surprisingly kept her ground and furiously yelled: "Oh OK! So now you wanna be a scary saber? OK! I can be a scary monster too!"

The nerve-wreaking sloth screams right at Diego's face who cringes from the loud screaming which went on for a short while before Niamh stopped, shivering a bit and hissing: "Did that scare you, kitty cat?!"

Diego looks at Niamh, a bit terrified on how crazy she's becoming within her breakdown before Carrie steps in, grabs her arm, and snapped: "Niamh, that's enough!"

"What? You're going to be bossy again as usual?" Niamh scoffed as she shoves Carrie away from her.

"What are you talking about?" Carrie scoffed back.

"You know what exactly I'm talking about, Carrie! Ever since we lost everything, you've being pushy, rude, and completely ignorant of how Dodger and I feel because everything has to be about you and what you want!" Niamh snapped at her best friend.

"I'm only trying to protect you two" Carrie argued.

"Protect us?! You haven't even spoken to us that night, you never acknowledge how we feel and all that like we do to you but you just rudely rebuff us off when we try to help you!" Niamh argued back.

"You don't know what's it like to be the reason our people are dead and why Victor is after us" Carrie angrily started to vent.

"Maybe not but let me tell you something; you think you're the only one who lost everything?! Dodger, your brother, lost his parents that night but have you ever consider how he feels?! No; In all honesty, I feel sorry for Dodger!" Niamh scoffed.

"Niamh?" Dodger spoke out.

"He has been so strong through all of this, looking out for both of us and being there for you as a brother should be to his sister but you selfishly deny his help and refuse to see how much suffering he's being through too. He may not act like it but I can see the pain and sadness in his eyes at times" Niamh angrily explained to Carrie.

Carrie looks at Dodger before the blue sloth then snaps again: "And in case, you've forgotten; I lost my parents too, long before you guys did! I watched them die before my eyes as Victor and his wolves ate them apart before your parents saved me!"

"Both you and Dodger should be so very lucky for the fact that at least your parents didn't get torn apart to death by those wolves right in front of you while being completely helpless to do anything to stop them! So don't you dare say that you're the only one who is suffering because Dodger and I, too, have suffered more than you have and the difference is between you and me, I don't act like a complete jerk like you and Manny here; you two are exactly alike! Stubborn, sarcastic, impatient, and all hot air!"

"Niamh..." Carrie started, unsure of what to say.

"What happened that night was never your fault! You did what you had to do like we did, so stop hiding away from us and trust us when we say that we only want to help you because we love you, you blithering idiot!" Niamh angrily exclaimed.

Carrie stood there in bewilderment before the blue sloth stomps her way to Dodger and with a stiff thrust of her paw, she points at Dodger and snapped: "And you!"

"M-Me?" Dodger gulped.

"Oh, ho, ho, ho! Just you wait on what I have to say to you, you dead gorgeous muscular hunk, you!" Niamh deviously laughed.

But as soon as she was about to speak, she felt so dizzy from all the hyperventilating, screaming and yelling that it has worn her out as she groans out and faints before the herd.

"Is...she OK?" Diego asked in confusion, afraid to even touch Niamh at this point

"I think she just fainted" Dodger replied and picks Niamh up in his arms.

"That was...very unexpected" Carrie gasped out. "I mean, she completely lost it"

"...And she was a bit of meanie too" Manny added.

"And you know what? I don't blame her for she reacted just now!" Dodger firmly started. "Look at us! We're fighting over everything that is tearing us apart! This is what Victor or Leo would've wanted, if it wasn't for Niamh just now, the villains would've succeeded"

"Dodger-!" Carrie started.

"Listen here, Carrie! You're not the only one who lost Mom and Dad that night! I was suffering like you and so was Niamh! Don't you even think of how I felt the night they died?! I stayed strong to both of you because I made a promise to our parents that night that I would look out for you two, no matter what!" Dodger angrily rants at Carrie.

The pink sloth just stood there, looking at her tall little brother sadly as he continues ranting: "I know you blame yourself for what happened but you did what we planned to do to stop the wolves from attacking! We didn't know how much people evacuated as Niamh and I did our very best to get them out but that stubborn cowardly leader of ours convinced them all to hide in their huts because as you kept saying our village was mostly a dumb group unlike us because of how our parents raised us and Niamh!"

"I just wish..." Carrie started.

"What?" Dodger angrily asked.

"I just wish I can turn back time and prevent all of this from happening" Carrie shuddered.

"So do I, Carrie but we can't! We survived for a reason because we had no choice but to stop them and escaped...Yes, we lost our parents but we have to stick together to be strong and live on but you refuse to let us help you and treat us like we play no significant part in your life" Dodger replied.

"I didn't want to hurt you or Niamh as I did with our parents and everyone else" Carrie cried out.

"You've already done that by leaving us in the dark and treating us like we're idiots" Dodger firmly scoffed.

Carrie knew eventually that Dodger was right, instead of just facing her fears and just hiding away from the ones she loves, she has cause more harm than she fears she would've. It wasn't long until Dodger faces Manny and the herd before he said with determination:

"Manny...Guys...I'm so sorry that we've brought this upon you; we'd never join your herd if Victor was still alive and after us but we were convinced he was gone too but sadly Carrie's fears were right"

"Dodger..." Manny started but Dodger firmly interrupts him:

"But you need to understand is that we joined this herd for Sid because from what we heard from him, you guys seemed like an awesome group to start anew from all the chaos that we've suffered lately. While some of you are alright, you, however, Manny, you have problems trying to trust people who care about you the most like Sid! Do you know why I'm still friends with Sid? Because despite his clumsy ways and he can smell bad at times, he's one of the kindest and generous friends I've ever met in my life. Even as a child, he'll stay with us when we have a bad day and when we feel alone"

"Growing up, we never had many friends because they thought we were weird but he came along and he welcomed us with open arms, he was the only friend I could ever have with Niamh and my sister; I can still remember the fun games we played as children and times we stick together...Yes he has problems but then again, we all have problems but that doesn't mean we have to be jerks about it because of the little things that annoy us"

"What did Sid say about us?" Diego curiously asked.

"He told us that you were the dearest friends he'd ever met; he loves you all just as we loved him but sometimes I figured that you just keep Sid around because you reluctantly feel obliged to" Dodger replied.

"That's not true!" Manny said before he looks down and sighed: "...Not anymore, at least"

"Manny, I know you're not a bad person but you need to start trusting your friends more; just because you don't agree or don't seem to like how we act, it does not mean we're not reliable. I mean, look at Leo! We all thought he was a genuine friend we could trust but in the end, he stabbed us in the back and got us here" Dodger points out.

Manny looks around at the herd as Carrie did the same thing before she said: "You're right...about everything"

"We're a herd...and herds stick together" Manny also agreed.

Carrie walks up to Manny and sincerely said: "Manny, I'm sorry about everything and I apologize for the way I treated you and the others"

"I'm sorry too, Carrie, for everything too" Manny deeply apologized to the pink sloth.

"Dodger's right, we can't let this torn us apart! We need to work together if we're going to stop Victor and save Peaches and Sid" said Carrie.

"I agree and before we can do anything else, I just want to say-" Manny begins to spoke.

"Look if you guys want to make up for stuff, I suggest we do it afterward because the more time we waste now, the less time Sid and Peaches might have left" Dodger pointed out.

"Very well, we'll talk later hopefully" Carrie nodded and shook Manny's trunk.

"Let's do this together" Manny agreed and shook Carrie's paw to which Ellie smiles happily.

Suddenly Niamh wakes up in Dodger's arms as she looks around the nervous herd before he anxiously giggled: "Um...Did I went too far back there?"

"No" The herd simultaneously replied, shaking their heads.

"Niamh, you were most helpful back there so thank you" Dodger thanked before he leans to Niamh's face and whispers: "So what were you gonna say about me?"

Niamh blushes red and gulps: "C-Can we talk later?"

"We have to get out of here and save Peaches," Carrie said as she tries to look for a way out.

"That won't be necessary"

Soon the herd looks up to see Peaches happily looking down at them from on top of the entrance that Leo blocked before, much to their happiness that she's alive and unharmed.

"Peaches" Manny and Ellie gleefully exclaimed.

"Peaches? How did you escape?!" Diego happily asked.

"How did you find us?" Carrie asked.

Soon Peaches moves aside as Balthazar walks in, much to the herd's shock as Dodger shouted: "Peaches, get away from him! He's one of Victor's minions"

"No! No! It's OK, he brought me here to save you guys" Peaches defused the tension for the herd.

"You brought her back to us? Why?" Manny cautiously asked.

"Because I am tired of Victor's tyrannical ways, it was because of him, I lost my pack to the flood that night" Balthazar explained.

"How can we even trust you if that's the case?" Manny demanded.

"Because he spared my life" Dodger spoke on Balthazar's behalf.

"Dodger?" Carrie said in confusion.

"When Victor first attacked you guys with Balthazar and Carlotta, I was fighting him before he just stopped and let me go" Dodger explained.

"Because I may be a wolf but I'm not a killer like Victor and Carlotta are" Balthazar replied.

"So you're not like the others?" Ellie asked.

"No, and to prove I am not what you think I am, I spend ten minutes getting the top entrance unblocked while protecting Peaches from anything harmful," Balthazar said before he looks at the other entrance below and behind the herd, before he sees the top roots from around the path of the giant hole as he walks up to the back and adds: "You guys might wanna stand back"

As soon as the herd did what the large wolf said, Balthazar rips a few vines from the top before the rocks crumbled all down to reveal a cave entrance that was blocked the rooted rocks.

"An exit; we can leave this place" Buck cheered.

Soon Balthazar and Peaches slide down the icy cliff gently before the young mammoth was embraced by Manny and Ellie.

"We're so happy that you're OK, Peaches" Ellie happily cried out.

"I'm so sorry, mommy" Peaches apologized.

"It's not your fault, sweetie" Manny assured his daughter.

"How did you get out of Victor's grasp?" Carrie asked the young mammoth.

"Uncle Sid saved me" Peaches replied.

"Sid?!" The herd exclaimed.

"Yes but...but..." Peaches sadly added before Balthazar finished for Peaches: "But unfortunately as Sid got Peaches free, he's still imprisoned by Victor and knowing how furious he was when I left to find Peaches by his orders, the poor sloth is getting tortured by that beast as we speak"

"No!" Carrie gasped in horror as she fears for the worst for Sid.

"I told you this was all my fault, I should've gone back for him instead of running away as he told me to" Peaches sobbed.

"No; you did the right thing, you did as your uncle said because he cared about you and wanted you to be safe" Manny explained to Peaches.

"What if Uncle Sid is being eaten by that monster by now?" Peaches cried.

"We may still have a chance to save Sid and defeat Victor once and for all," said Balthazar.

Manny looks at the large wolf that claims to be an ally to them, he is still unsure about everything and who to trust especially since Leo who he thought was a friend to them all backstabbed them to get them killed but at this point, what else have they got to lose? They need to save Sid and they can use the advantage they can get.

"Lead the way" Manny nodded.

Soon Balthazar starts leading the herd to Forbidden Rock with Carrie next to Balthazar as she thought to herself: "I hope we're not too late, I won't let Sid die, I won't lose him like I lost my family"

* * *

**What happens next?**

**Stay tuned to find out!**


	20. Saving Sid

**Chapter 19: Saving Sid**

* * *

Back at Forbidden Rock where the sky was a brilliant orange with a tinge of red as the sun sets to evening. Victor was circling Sid, tied up and gruesomely covered in bites, scratches, and gashes that the sadistic wolf did to torture the poor sloth.

Sid was growing weak by the minute from his critical injuries as his whole body looks like he just barely survived an ambush of predators but he was still trapped within Victor's grasp after refusing to tell Victor anything as he sees no point in giving the wolf what he wants since the poor sloth is convinced that he is loveless and all alone till the end of his life.

All hope and happiness were gone for the sloth; nothing left now but to suffer and die by the alpha wolf who growls out furiously:

"I will admit, sloth; you are more persistent than any other creature I'd ever tortured...Why do you even fight on for those idiotic fools you call a herd?"

"They're not my herd...they never were" Sid sadly grunted.

"If they're not your herd, why fight for them? What's the point being protective of them when I hold your life within my claws?" Victor mocked.

"I'm not fighting for them" Sid weakly groaned as he sadly looks down. "I just don't have anything to say to you"

"I see...A broken-down useless twit is what you've become then" Victor harshly chuckled, wickedly grinning back to Carlotta and Leo, who just got back from trapping the herd; Sid couldn't see Leo or Carlotta, nor could he make out what Victor looks like up close with his vision getting blurry from his deteriorating health.

"Balthazar better have found that little brat that got away" Leo grumbled to Carlotta.

"Oh he will, he's never failed Victor" Carlotta scoffed.

"Not like you though" Leo mocked.

"Oh shut up, moron" Carlotta hissed and smacks Leo up on the back of his head.

"Sire"

Victor and his minions then see Balthazar returning to them as the alpha wolf firmly asks: "Well? Where is the brat?!"

"...Dead..." Balthazar stoically responded.

The giant wolf reveals from his teeth to which he drops on the ground, revealing to be mammoth hair with red liquid on them; it was berries that looked like blood on the hair that Balthazar borrowed a small patch of Manny's tail hair to fool the villains.

Victor grins deviously in delight and replies with "Excellent! Well done Balthazar! Now with the brat dead and the herd out of the way, that no one else can stop me from doing what I plan to do with this pathetic creature"

Victor soon turns to Sid and sneered right at him: "It seems that you just let your precious Peaches go to die"

"N-No..." Sid weakly whimpered as tears fall from his eyes.

"Don't worry, you'll be joining her soon in the dark cold afterlife forever" Victor snarled before he slowly opens his mouth, revealing his razor-sharp teeth and growls: "Goodbye, Sid the sloth"

**"NOW!"**

Suddenly Balthazar lunges at Victor and pins him away from Sid, Carlotta had little time to react as she was then pounced to the ground by Diego which made Leo squeak in fear but before he can run off, he was met with a smack to the ground by Ellie, furiously towering over him.

"Going somewhere, scumbag?" Ellie growled at the cowardly sloth.

"Oh, crud" Leo gulped, seeing that the herd has escaped and Peaches is still alive.

"Balthazar?! What are you doing?!" Victor exclaimed.

"I am finally doing what the pack and I should've done to you and Carlotta in the past before you took over and destroyed everything we had" Balthazar growled viciously at the alpha wolf.

"Traitor!" Victor roared at the large wolf as he struggled to get off from Balthazar.

The whole herd soon got up to Sid as they were in absolute horror to see the gruesome state of their injured herd member. Manny, shuddering in fear, gets the vines off from Sid, gently places him on the ground, and touches his face as the yellow sloth weakly opens his eyes and faintly gasps: "M-Manny?"

"Sid" Manny gasped out in shock and sadness for his dearest best friend.

Sid soon passes out from his injuries as Peaches cries out loudly for her injured uncle, tearfully begging him to wake up; Carrie, in a tearful rage, glares at Victor who pushes Balthazar away from him, screams: "What have you done to Sid?!"

"I did what I told you I would do to that miserable creature ... but don't feel too bad, he didn't put that much of a fight. It goes to show how pathetically weak your "best friend" really is" Victor wickedly laughs.

Manny couldn't contain his rage anymore as he furiously trumpets at Victor and charges at him, ready to fight the alpha wolf to avenge his injured friend. Carrie screams out in rage too and joins Manny in the fight against the alpha wolf before Balthazar follows afterward to help them.

Dodger, Buck, and the twins joined Diego fighting Carlotta as the saber-tooth tiger asked: "You sure you guys can handle this?"

"We're going to help you, Diego!" Buck put his foot down and joins the fight with Carlotta.

"With us as a team, we can finally stop them for sure" Dodger agreed.

"You foolish fools won't be able to last a minute with me!" Carlotta hissed.

"Wanna bet, mangy mutt?" Crash dared the evil wolf.

"Let's rock and roll!" Eddie exclaimed as the group fights the sadistic wolf.

Leo was about to run away from all of this before he was lifted by Ellie who snapped at him: "Remember what I told you before, you cowardly sleazy snake?"

"I ain't going to be beaten by a fat cow!" Leo angrily yelled before he bites hard onto Ellie's trunk, causing her to grunt in pain but didn't let go.

Leo then realized that he was still trapped in Ellie's trunk before she leans closer to Leo and furiously snapped: "**_Fat cow?_!**"

"C-Can I rephrase that?" Leo nervously squeaked.

Ellie then throws Leo to the wall before she starts beating him the back-stabbing villain up with her trunk. Peaches watch her mother fought the sleazebag in front of her with the anxious Niamh as she cheers out: "Go mommy! Go! Beat that bad man!"

The battle between the herd and the villains went on for a while before Dodger picks up Carlotta, swings her around and throws him straight at Leo, causing them to tumble down the stairs of the mountain and were both knocked out unconscious by the time they reached the bottom of the mountain.

"Nice throw!" Ellie chuckled to Dodger.

"Thanks, you kicked Leo's ass" Dodger chuckled back.

"Hey! Language!" Ellie firmly clears her throat, pointing her trunk to Peaches.

"Sorry, I meant butt" Dodger sheepishly apologized as Ellie nodded, smiling at the green sloth.

"Daddy!"

Soon they turn to see where Peaches is looking as Victor overpowers Manny and Balthazar before he hits Carrie down, grabs her, and places his claws near her neck.

"Let her go, you monster!" Manny furiously demanded.

"Don't worry about me, Manny! Do what you have to do!" Carrie shouted to Manny.

"Come closer and I kill her right here and there" Victor threatened as he drags Carrie away from the herd and over to where the cave is.

"You let my sister go or I promise you, you'll be the one who'll die tonight" Dodger threatened back.

"You three and that miserable sloth have being a thorn in my sight for so long and now I shall finally have my revenge" Victor growled.

**_"Let her go!"_**

The group turns to see Sid, barely awake and standing but wobbling from his injuries, panting heavily as he was holding a stick that was on fire on the top. Victor's eyes widen at this as he growled out loudly: "W-What is this?!"

"It's not her...she has nothing to do with this...I'm the one you want" Sid firmly whimpered.

"How did you light a fire on that stick that quick, Sid?" Dodger asked in bewilderment.

"Buddy...I'm...the Fire King...I have ways" Sid panted heavily.

"Impossible!" Victor snarled, refusing to believe that the sloth can create fire.

Suddenly Sid notices Victor looking uneasy and a bit shook by the flaming stick Sid was holding when he realizes that Victor could be scared of fire and when he points it to Victor, the alpha wolf reacted with a flinch of his body to it which confirms Sid's suspicion.

"So this is your fear, isn't it Victor...? You're scared of fire" Sid grunted at him as he fully realized Victor's reaction to fire.

"Sh-Shut up!" Victor growled as he knew that he was caught. "You have to be a parasite to me for long enough, Sid! Now you can watch as I kill your precious Carrie!"

Carrie suddenly then back-elbows Victor in the chest, causing the alpha wolf to let her go and coughed out loud from the hit as Sid looks at Carrie before he aims the fire stick at her.

"Carrie! Catch!" Sid gasped out.

And then with his remaining strength, Sid throws the flaming stick but it misses Carrie and landed straight at Victor's head as the wolf's hair was soon quickly lifted in flames. Victor, screaming in agony, tries to put out the fire on top of his head but his fur was quickly lifted like a wick as he runs around, howling in pain, trying to stop the flames but during the chaos, he accidentally stumbles off the edge of the mountain and plunges to the ground into the snow below.

"Damn..." The twins gasped out in bewilderment.

"I-Is it over?" Niamh whimpered.

"I say Victor's down and out" Buck nodded.

"Guys...?"

The herd then sees Sid looking at them before he passed out again from using too much strength within his horrific injuries. Carrie cried out his name in fear and rushes to him with the herd, cradling Sid's body in her arms as she gently shakes him to wake him up.

"Sid? Sid, come on! Don't do this to us! Please!" Carrie panicked.

"U-Uncle Sid" Peaches whimpered.

"Is he breathing?!" Diego asked in fear.

Carrie checks his pulse and can still feel beats in him as she said: "He's still alive but I don't know if he'll recover from this"

"We have to get him back to the cave and fix him up or we'll be too late" Manny exclaimed as he then puts Sid on his back.

The herd frantically starts heading back to the original herd cave, leaving Forbidden Rock while unbeknown to them, down below the mountain in a pile of snow, a burnt paw thrusts out of the pile and scrunches into a fist with fury.

* * *

As the hour flies by, the herd eventually treated Sid's injuries and had the sloth lying on a leaf bed with leafy bandages around his body, thanks to Buck's antics that he used to stop Sid's wounds from bleeding. Sadly the sloth wasn't waking up this time as they feared that the herd may have to be too late to save Sid from dying.

"Sid?" Carrie shudders as she gently shakes Sid but to no avail. "Sid? Wake up, Please wake up"

"Mommy, Is Uncle Sid gonna be OK?" Peaches whimpered to her mother.

"I...I don't know, sweetheart" Ellie sadly replied.

"Sid? Come on buddy" Diego sadly pleaded as he nudges Sid's head with his head.

"Sid! Come on! You can fight this" Manny begged.

Nothing was working, the yellow injured sloth was as still as a rock before Carrie rests her head on Sid's chest and cries out in anguish:

"This is all my fault! Everyone I care for dies violently! First, my parents, then my people, now Sid may not survive the night! And it's all my fault!"

"Carrie..." Manny sadly said as he places his trunk on Carrie's shoulder. "It's not your fault, we were tricked by Leo and we were all played into Victor's trap"

"But if only I was strong enough to stop Victor that night then none of this would've happened!" Carrie sobbed.

"What do you mean?" Manny asked the pink sloth. "What happened that night the pack attacked your village?"

"Carrie..." Dodger started as the pink sloth sadly looks down as she knew this was bound to come sooner or later and in this case, she might as well admits the truth about what happened:

"You want to know? ... When the pack attacked the village that night, my parents fought Victor and Carlotta by the dam which stops the river from coming into the village"

"Why was your village build near a big dam?" Diego asked.

"Because like I said before, twice: Our village was mostly dumb and lazy especially since our leader who, like his son, is a spoiled pampered twit with no brains whatsoever" Carrie stopped to take a breather before she continued:

"During the battle, Dodger and Niamh were evacuating most of the tribe as much as they can despite the leader telling everyone not to panic and stay in their huts but as you can tell that didn't work well for Dodger and Niamh...My parents were eventually overthrown by Victor and Carlotta and the last thing I can remember is my parents telling me to break the wooden dam as it was the only way to stop them...So I did as they wanted"

"Carrie..." Dodger started.

"I rammed my spear, straight into the wooden dam and crack it apart by moving a log or two; Victor saw what I was doing and tried to stop me but instead his claws that were coming at me, caused more small logs to break eventually causing the entire wooden dam to collapsed; the last thing I saw was my dad putting me up the hill away from the oncoming wave before he was swept away by the rapid waters with my mother, the wolves and most of the tribe that stayed behind..." Carrie sadly continued as she felt tears stinging up to her eyes.

"So that's how you three escaped?" Manny asked.

"Yes...all of which would never happen...if not for me" Carrie sobbed.

"But that was the wolves fault that the village died, not you" Manny spoke out to Carrie.

"Manny-" Carrie started.

"You did what you could that night and you survived for a reason! Your parents did not die because of you! You did what they wanted you to do and while you may not have gotten the people out like you and the others tried to but you didn't give up on them as they did with you. You are not guilty of what happened to your village and parents! It was all Victor's fault, not yours" Manny firmly comforted Carrie, giving her the tough love she needed.

"H-How would you know that?" Carrie cracked through the tears.

"Because I lost my family once too" Manny confessed.

"Manny..." Ellie gasped, knowing what he's talking about.

"Daddy?" Peaches asked in confusion.

"When I was younger, not too long ago before I met Ellie, I had another wife and a son..." Manny started.

"Manny?" Carrie said in confusion.

"I have a brother?" Peaches asked her mother.

"You _**had **_a half brother, yes" Ellie sadly replied.

"One day a group of human hunters came and attacked us...I tried to save my wife and son but...I wasn't strong enough..." Manny sadly continued.

Carrie gasps in horror before the bull mammoth, on the verge of tears, sternly shudders: "Ever since I lost them, I felt the same way as you did, Carrie...I was alone, I hated myself and I blamed myself for not saving them and I wished back there it was me that died instead of them!"

"D-Daddy" Peaches cried for her father and hugs him.

Manny holds Peaches close, still looking at Carrie before he said: "I didn't care about my life or anyone else until I met Sid and mostly because of him and Diego, I finally realize that I cannot live with the guilt forever and it was from saving the human baby that we found and brought back to his father than I learn to let go of my hate and move on for them..."

The bull mammoth looks at Sid sadly and adds: "We're all a herd together because of Sid, even if we never admit it times"

"He's the sticky gooey thing that holds the herd together and we'd be nothing without him" Diego sadly replied.

"Carrie, Dodger, Niamh...I know we haven't got on the right foot for a while but can you ever forgive me for the things I've done you guys blame me for?" Manny pleaded with the sloth trio.

"Of course we forgive you, Manny" Dodger nodded.

"W-We're sorry too" Niamh apologized for the trio to the herd.

Carrie tearfully hugs Manny's trunk and sobbed: "I'm so sorry, Manny"

"I'm so sorry as well, Carrie" Manny apologized as well, hugging the pink sloth back.

"We're still a herd, right?" Carrie sniffed.

"Of course we are" Manny nodded, smiling at the crowd around him.

"But now...I still hope Sid can pull through this" Carrie cried out for her fallen friend.

"We hope so too, Carrie" Manny sadly agreed as the herd watches in dismay for their unconscious injured herd member, and all they can do now is wait and see if Sid can pull through and survive...

* * *

**What happens next?**

**Stay tuned to find out!**


	21. One Herd, One Family

**Chapter 20: One Herd, One Family**

* * *

The hours pass by as the late-night befalls the herd as they had no choice but to get some rest as they each took one sad glance at their unconscious injured herd member before calling it a night.

Balthazar assured them that he will keep watch which made Carrie and Manny a bit uneasy at first as they intend to watch out privately too in case Balthazar betrays them by revealing them to Victor but both of them soon grew weary from their fight with the alpha wolf as they fall asleep too.

Midnight soon passed as all was still and peaceful which made the situation eerier for Balthazar who kept an eye out for Victor, Carlotta or even Leo but most of his concern, as well as the herd, is on Sid as it was unclear if he's ever going to recover or wake up from his terrible injuries that the wicked wolf inflicted on the poor mammal.

Eventually, fortune smiles on the yellow sloth as Sid begins to slowly open his eyes and leans up a bit to see that he was back at the old cave with the herd. The sloth couldn't believe what he had woken up to, he was back; back with the ones who thought never cared much for him, back with those he and the other sloths argued with before they broke apart and above all, he was back with his old friends who he was convinced by Leo that they only pretended to like him while they were disgusted being friends with him

"They came back for me? After all this time, after all the mistakes and mishaps that I have done to them, …they came back for me?" Sid quietly mutters in disbelief.

He looks down at his body being tended with leaf bandages as he notices Buck slowly opening his eye, suddenly noticing that Sid is awake as he happily gasped out loud and nudges the possums next to him as they awoke and saw Sid much to their utter delight.

"Guys…?" Sid softly muttered. "A-Am I...?"

"Sid!" The trio each happily cried out as they lunged at the surprised sloth, pinning him down on his bed, hugging him closely.

The yellow sloth stares on as Buck and the twins were happily rejoiced to see Sid alive as he can and hear them variously speaking to him while looking at the awoken sloth with joy.

"You're awake! You're alive!" Crash gleefully cried out.

"We thought we'd never see you again" Eddie happily spoke out.

"You did it! You made it, that's my best pal!" Buck loudly cheered.

The herd all eventually woke up to the outcries of joy before the yellow sloth eventually sees the rest of the herd coming to Sid and happily expressing their joy and relief that Sid is alive and back with them

Diego gently pulls Sid into a bro hug and nuzzles him, which is something Diego never did to anyone before nor didn't want to do in the past like Sid has done to him in the past.

"Don't ever scare me like that again, you tough knucklehead" Diego sighed out in relief.

Soon Sid sees Manny, Ellie, and Peaches near him as Ellie cuddles him gently and Peaches did the same thing while Manny pets Sid on the head.

"Sid…you saved our daughter from Victor. You brave, brave darling, thank you" Ellie happily cried.

"Thanks for saving me, Uncle Sid! You're my hero" Peaches sweetly phrased as she kisses Sid on the cheek with her trunk.

"I'm so proud of you, Sid. You have no idea what you've done for Peaches means to me, to all of us. You're truly the bravest sloth I've ever met" Manny proudly and warmly spoke to the sloth.

This was one of the rare times; Manny had ever been warm and proud of Sid to his surprise as he couldn't believe what he was seeing before him. They were so happy to be back with him, they were so worried about his welfare. Something that Sid thought would never happen with the herd to him like his original family on how they poorly treated Sid in the past.

As the mammoths let go of the yellow sloth, Dodger and Niamh approached Sid and hugged him.

"I knew you would survive this, bro! You have no idea how much misery we'd be if you were gone" Dodger gleefully spoke.

"I-It'd be like how I lost my parents a-all over again…W-W-Well, you know what I m-meant" Niamh nervously giggled through her stuttering.

Suddenly Sid felt Carrie's warm embrace as she holds Sid close and can hear her voice cracking as she said:

"I thought I almost lost you and…and if you died…then…then…I would've never forgiven myself!"

"Carrie…" Sid started.

"But you're back with us now; you're back with the herd safe and sound! And I promise you; no one will ever harm you again as long as I live" Carrie vowed as she nuzzles Sid's chest.

"Y-You all came back for me?" Sid quizzed in disbelief.

"Of course we came back" Diego nodded.

"Why?" Sid asked.

"Why?! Because you're our best friend" Dodger responded.

"You're part of our herd!" Buck added.

"We were so worried about you and when we saw how you were tortured by Victor. We thought you were going to die" Manny sadly spoke out.

"I…" Sid started until Carrie gently hushes him. "It's alright Sid, we're all together now. Everything is going to be OK"

Sid looks around at the gleeful herd around him before fear comes to mind that eventually Sid will end up being a screw-up again and thus the herd and his friends especially the one he loves who didn't respond to his confession will eventually just abandoned him as his family did despite what Leo said to Sid about the sloth trio was just toxic lies to trick Sid and the others.

The injured sloth begins to break down in tears which causes an alarm to the others for this wasn't just how Sid cries which was usual vigorously but this time, Sid's crying was rather soft with tears slowly coming down from his face.

The herd variously asked Sid what was wrong in concern before the sloth sadly whimpers: "I-I'm so sorry…"

"What are you talking about, buddy?" Diego softly asked.

"I'm sorry that I'm such a screw-up to all of you" Sid sobbed.

Everyone at that point starts protesting as Sid then cried out: "You don't have to lie to me; I know I screw up every time I try to do something for you guys or myself and I know I'm a hopeless idiot"

"You're not a screw-up" Dodger protested.

"I know you three don't even care that we're friends. You only befriended me so you don't look bad in front of everyone. I know you guys never wanted to be friends with me in the first place when we met; I don't blame you for seeing me as the ugliest thing you've ever seen to befriend with" Sid whimpered.

"W-W-What? Y-You're not u-u-ugly!" Niamh stuttered in confusion.

"Who said we weren't your friends at all?!" Carrie loudly questioned.

"Leo…he told me the truth…He said you guys were disgusted by me and regretted being friends as kids" Sid miserably answered.

"He told you that?!" Carrie sharply gasped.

"Why that horrible back-stabbing snake!" Dodger growled to himself, deeply furious at what Leo said to Sid about their friendship.

"L-Leo's wrong! We **_are_** your b-best friends" Niamh whimpered.

"Leo used you, Sid. He used all of us! He was in league with Victor and Carlotta to have us killed" Manny explained.

"What? He was?" Sid sniffed through his tears.

"Yes, He was working with the wolves all along to ensure that he had the leadership of our tribal village but when the disaster happened, he swore revenge on us and worked with Victor and Carlotta to destroy us" Carrie replied.

"But…it was I that Victor wanted in the end..." Sid sadly pointed out.

"Yes but we saved you, buddy, Just as you saved Peaches. Balthazar told us everything, he said you told Peaches to run to safety instead of letting her save you" said Manny.

Sid looks at the big wolf watching them and eventually kept his watch outside before Sid nodded:

"I didn't want Victor to hurt Peaches...because she has you guys still to love and care for her... I don't have anyone that cared anymore…I saw no point in fighting or pleading to him for mercy…"

"But we do care about you, Sid. I know we've haven't been the best of a herd at times but we were so worried about you" Diego pointed out, looking at his injured friend with a concerned look.

Sid looks down in depression and coldly said: "You say that now…but we all know I will mess up again and get you guys into trouble or in harm's way…I don't blame you guys for hating me because I know I'm a problem to everyone I met…"

"Sid" Carrie started.

"You should've let Victor destroy me…" Sid tearfully hissed.

The herd sharply gasped at that cold remark as Manny angrily responded with: "How could you say that, Sid?! We would never let Victor kill you! What good would come of that if we let Victor did that to you?!"

"Because then you wouldn't have to deal with a good for nothing insignificant moron like myself ever again and Victor would've left you alone! I know you guys don't like me and I don't blame you because I know I have problems, I know I cause trouble! I tried to be better and be useful for you all but I mess up every time! Why bother rescuing me now?! Everyone hates me as my parents did!" Sid tearfully yelled out.

The herd looks on in shock but was quiet from Sid's outburst. Did Sid think that he is not loved or accepted into the herd? Granted, he wasn't the best at doing things at the time but he was still kind and loyal to everyone in the herd even if Manny and Diego can be a bit of unsupported and not giving Sid a bit of respect and trust in the past.

"What are you saying, mate?" Buck worryingly questioned the sloth.

"Before I met you guys, the only friends I had were Dodger, Niamh, and Carrie…No one wanted to play with me or wanted to do anything involving me. My parents hated me because I was the kid they never asked for…I was an accident in their eyes" Sid woefully started.

"You poor thing" Ellie sadly gasped.

"And when my family was banished from the village, my family blamed me for being banished out of our home, and from that point on, I was nothing but insignificant to them and everyone I meet. They always avoid me and run away from me when they try to and I found them most of the time growing up…" Sid continued.

The herd watches sadly as Sid weeps out his miserable tale before the yellow sloth continued:

"I tried so hard to do the right thing and do everything I could to make them see that I was useful and I can be a great family member but it was never enough and nothing…nothing ever will be. I tried to pretend that I was OK and I will have something better in life but it never does…It just hurts that I was left and hated by my family and no one cared"

"Uncle Sid…" Peaches begin to cry for her uncle.

"I thought the herd would be a great new start of my life but like in the past, I screwed it up and ruined everything…You don't have to pretend that you're happy for me because in the end after all of this, you'll grow sick and tired of me and abandoned me all alone so you can live happily ever after while I'll be all alone till the day I die because…I'm nothing….Nothing….just…nothing but a weak, dumb, useless, insignificant, good for nothing creature" Sid finished as he starts crying into his paws, feeling hopeless and deeply depressed.

The herd watches on, feeling so sorry and miserable for the depressed injured sloth; the girls and even Crash and Eddie were also in tears, sadden by Sid's confession of his life while the guys sadly look on for Sid.

Manny looks at the herd than to Sid before he knew what he had to do as he cannot afford to lose another family member as he did in the past; He sits down behind Sid before gently wrapping his trunk around the sloth and hugs him warmly and close, gently hushing the crying sloth.

"Sid…I want you to look and listen to me, OK?" Manny started before looking at the tearful sloth with his calm brown eyes. "You are and always will be part of this herd"

"M-Manny?" Sid sobbed.

"I am so sorry for what your family put you through but it's not your fault, Sid" Manny started.

Sid was about to reply but Manny stopped him and continued with: "I know we got on the wrong foot with us at the beginning and even with Diego but in time we adapted as a herd because we became great friends"

"I mean, look at me. I wanted to eat you two before we became friends and look on far we've come now" Diego added.

"I will be honest that we did things in the past that we shouldn't have done but we can learn from our mistakes and adapt to be better as a herd for all of us. We're not perfect but no one is, I'm not perfect, Diego's not perfect even Carrie's not perfect" Manny continued before looking at Carrie and added: "No offense"

"But…you guys always get along with everyone except me because I'm such a thorn in everyone's sight and I'm useless" Sid sobbed.

"You're not useless and you're not a thorn in everyone's sight! You've always been our best friend, Sid" Dodger said.

"Y-You were always fun to play with" Niamh adds.

"And you were always there for us when we feel down at days" Carrie agreed with the two sloths.

"If it wasn't for you, Sid, I'd be trapped underground and never experience what true life and adventure is out there with a family" Buck happily said.

"If it wasn't for you, Sid, we'd be dead underwater when the flood happened" Crash pointed out.

"But Manny was the one who offered you guys to join us" Sid sniffed.

"Sid, Manny told us it was all your idea so we should be thanking you" Eddie chuckled and patting Sid gently on the arm.

"If it not for you and Manny. I'd still be the runt of the litter in my old pack and Pinkie would've perished years ago" said Diego as he warmly smiles at the sloth.

"And if not for you and Diego, I'd never open my heart to another family, another love and we'd never have Peaches in the first place" Manny added, nuzzling Ellie who nuzzled back.

"And if not for you, Uncle Sid, I'd be killed by that ugly monster" Peaches happily sobbed and cuddles her sloth uncle.

"And if not for you, Sid, then none of us three would find a new family with you and we'd be aimlessly running away forever," said Carrie.

"But Manny offered you all to stay" Sid pointed out.

"True but if you hadn't found them and brought them here then they wouldn't be here now with us. I let them stay for you, Sid, because it's what you wanted to do, right?" Manny replied.

"T-True" Sid slowly nodded.

"Sid, look around you…You made this herd, we're all together mostly because of you!" Manny happily said.

Sid sees all the happy and loving herd around him, showing him that he is not alone and he is loved, accepted, and part of the family.

"You say you'll never have a family but you're wrong! I am your family, Sid; we are all your family here just as you are family to all of us, do you understand?" Manny continued, feeling tears warming up to his eyes.

Sid starts quietly sobbing again and cracked: "I…I don't wanna make another mistake…I don't want to screw up again"

"Sid, no matter how many mistakes we all make even with you, it will never change the fact that you are part of this herd no matter what" Manny reassured the sloth before he joins the hug with Peaches and sincerely adds:

"You're like a little brother to me, Sid; I don't want to lose you … I love you, buddy"

"I never thought I would say this but I, too, consider you as a little brother to me, Sid" Diego added, joining in the hug.

"We all love you, Sid, so very much" Ellie happily sobbed and joins in too.

Eventually, Sid was surrounded by the herd, gently being in the middle of a group hug; Peaches gently on his lap hugging his waist, Crash, Eddie, and Buck on top of Peaches, hugging his chest.

Diego, against his left shoulder with Dodger and Niamh on the right, Carrie was behind Sid, hugging him from the back, and finally, Manny and Ellie connect their trunks and hugged the rest of the group with Sid.

The yellow sloth was touched with everyone by his side showing how much love and happiness they all have for him being part of their lives and family. For the first time in a long time, Sid felt something he never thought would come true for him; he felt so loved and accepted to the herd as he is to them.

This is his home, his herd, his one true family; A family that Sid now sees that loves him cares for him and would never abandon him whatsoever. The yellow sloth begins to cry again; a bit loudly this time to the others look on at Sid in concern.

"Are you OK, buddy?" Manny asked in concern.

"It's just…" Sid sobbed but looks at the herd with a tearful smile. "For the first time…I feel like I'm…I'm home"

Sid continues sobbing happily while sighing out in relief as the herd never let go of their group embrace before they all drifted off into a peaceful sleep.

Balthazar watches on happily and relieved to see that everyone was on happier terms than before as he continues to keep watch for Victor and his gang but this moment, the herd can rest easy, knowing that they are back together and have opened up more than they have in a long time.

In the end, they are indeed one herd, one family.

* * *

**What happens next?**

**Stay tuned to find out!**


	22. Vengeful Insanity

**Chapter 21: Vengeful Insanity**

* * *

The next morning, Balthazar woke up first to check on the herd as they were still cuddled up and soundly asleep. Suddenly the large wolf begins to smell burnt fur as he turns over to see two eyes glowing in the shadows of the woods ahead of the cave.

Balthazar immediately knew that the shadow was Victor as he quietly yet furiously charges at the shadow that begins to run away from the large wolf.

Eventually, Balthazar sees Victor lunging forward over the cliff of a gorge and barely managed to reach the other side before standing next to a tree, covering him with the shadows as the larger wolf stops his tracks for as large as he is, he cannot jump far as Victor could to the other side.

The two wolves glared on one another from their side of the gorge before Victor hissed: "So the sloth is still alive"

"Yep and so are you…You look terrible" Balthazar chuckled, having caught glimpses of Victor's injuries.

"How dare you turn your back on this pack, Balthazar! We would've succeeded if you didn't betray us for that herd" Victor growled.

"You drove what little of our pack we had to oblivion!" Balthazar raged at the alpha wolf before he angrily growls out:

"We were a proud and honorable pack that respected the ways of our home, our code, and everything that made us wolves but then you; ever since you took over, you've been tearing our pack apart for your greed and dishonesty. We were dying, starving and being driven to the ground because all you wanted to be nothing but power and chaos with your tyrannical rule"

"Your precious honor and code mean nothing to me; I wanted to show this tribe that we can be top of our game and top of the food chain that we so rightfully desired but all that's changed now…This herd is on the brink of extinction and I will give it to them with pleasure" Victor coldly spatted.

"Yeah? Well if you dare try to harm the herd again, we will be ready for you" Balthazar warned the alpha wolf.

"And you can tell that yellow sloth you're protecting that he best pray for salvation because eventually, I will give him damnation" Victor threatened before he bolts off back to Forbidden Rock.

Balthazar angrily watches Victor leaving as he growls:

"You will not harm anyone ever again, Victor; I will see to that"

Meanwhile, back at Forbidden Rock, Carlotta was pacing back and forward in fear for her master once she learned that he has fallen and has not been found all night. Leo just stood there, furious at the fact that the plan has failed and the sloth trio he swore revenge on were still alive.

"How could this have happened?! We were so close to getting revenge but now he's gone" Carlotta wailed out.

"Oh quit your crying, if your so-called perfect master had just killed the yellow sloth before when we had him instead of just torturing him like a blithering boasting idiot then none of this would've happened and those three we agreed to hunt down would've been dead by now along with that stupid herd!" Leo angrily exclaimed.

Carlotta viciously glares at the red sloth. "Let me tell you something, Leo; none of this would've happened if my Victor hadn't agreed to your stupid plan in the first place"

"I gave you all you desired" Leo argued.

"And that gives you power over my Victor?" Carlotta hissed. "You don't seem to understand that while you still want your way with those three insignificant fools, My darling wolf will be doing things his way and how it should've to be from the beginning!"

Leo just scoffed loudly and angrily: "So some dumb yellow sloth gave him a few burns and a scar; big deal! But that female sloth is the cause of our people's demises, not Sid! We had a deal and we're sticking to it; no excuse!"

Suddenly cold laughter fills the area as the two animals turn to see Victor standing there hauntingly with burns, all over his body with most of his fur gone after being set on fire by the sloth, it wasn't long before Leo and Carlotta realize that half of Victor's right ear was burnt off, much to the alpha wolf's fury.

"Just a few burns and a scar, hmm?" Victor hauntingly chuckles at Leo.

"Oh master, I'm so sorry" Carlotta woefully pleaded for forgiveness

Victor just furiously smacks the female wolf at the muzzle which causes her to look down in shame and fear. The alpha wolf soon goes to Leo and hissed:

"I've tracked down the herd this morning and I just found out much to my boiling rage that the yellow sloth is still alive"

"What?!" Leo asked, dumbfounded.

"Let me ask you something, Leo…This Sid the sloth; are you sure he's not as dumb and weak as he looks?" Victor coldly demands.

"Are you kidding me? He's the dumbest and weakest sloth on the planet! How he's still alive and standing is beyond my expectations" Leo scoffed.

"Dumb…maybe; Weak? I don't think so…You do realize that out of the strongest and largest animals I had killed over my life as the alpha wolf, that _"dumb weak"_ yellow sloth has got the better of not only Carlotta but also myself; Twice!" Victor furiously exclaimed.

"Beginner's luck" Leo shrugged, trying to find reason with Victor.

"No! That was not beginner's luck! That repulsive thing has not only scarred me but has burned me alive because of his use of fire, my left ear is mostly gone and I am in agony like you wouldn't believe…He's not just a dumb and weak sloth…From this time on, he is considered my true nemesis and I will see to it that he will die by my own two paws if it's the last thing I'd ever do!" Victor bellowed as he swore his eternal lust for revenge on Sid the sloth.

"Forget about him! He's nothing! We had a deal, remember! We swore to kill Carrie and her foolish duo pack for the sake of our pack and tribe that they were responsible for the flooding!" Leo angrily argued.

Victor was at his limit with the red sloth who angrily added: "You owe me big time for all I've done for you"

The alpha wolf furiously pounces on the red sloth before he growls menacingly: "Oh, don't you worry about your precious Carrie and those other sloths…They will join Sid and the herd in death but from this point on, we'll do this my way and they will all learn to never cross with me"

"P-Please" Leo whimpered.

"And therefore, I no longer have any need of you anymore" Victor snarled and lunges his sharp teeth at Leo's throat.

Carlotta, still looking down, can hear Leo's screams of dying agony echoing the mountains before all noises ceased abruptly; the female wolf turns to see Victor, having slain the red sloth by ripping his throat wide open as the blood of the corpse was spilling out like red weed slithering on the ground.

"Carlotta" Victor lowly hissed.

"Y-Yes master?" Carlotta stuttered.

"I shall spare your life; despite the failures you've lately done, you are the only one left I can count on still" Victor replied.

"T-Thank you, sir, I will not fail you again" Carlotta phrased her master and bows before him.

"You best pray that you don't" Victor coldly threatened before he pushes the corpse of Leo to Carlotta then sadistically asked. "Shall we dig in?"

Carlotta wickedly giggles and replies with: "With pleasure, master"

The two remaining wolves feast on Leo's body before the female wolf then asked: "What do we do now since that thing is still alive with that herd"

"We underestimated that sloth twice…So these are now desperate times and desperate measures are called for" Victor answered.

"What do you plan to do?" Carlotta asked.

"Since that back-stabbing traitor, Balthazar, is now in league with them, they will be expecting us to come and finish them off" Victor explained.

"So?" Carlotta shrugged.

"They'll be cautious and keep an eye out for us two. So it's simple, we get off the radar for now; go somewhere private where they'll never find us and while they continue with their lives, I shall remain in the dark to heal my wounds and eventually re-train myself to be stronger and I suggest you do the same" Victor speaks of the plan to Carlotta.

"Ok; we'll wait for a few months and then what?" Carlotta impatiently questioned the alpha wolf.

"Then when we get stronger, we don't wait anymore…we strike him down vigorously" Victor replied.

"And what of Balthazar, the sloths, and that herd?" Carlotta asked.

"If they dare interfered, We will show them no mercy or warning this time especially that traitor" Victor growled.

"Very well then, master. Let's do this" Carlotta agreed with the plan.

The two of them eventually finish eating the rest of Leo's corpse and fled out of Forbidden Rock before running off straight into the misty woods, disappearing into the morning mist and straight out of sight of the valley.

* * *

**What happens next?**

**Stay tuned to find out!**


	23. True Love

**Chapter 22: True Love**

* * *

A few weeks fly by after Balthazar's last encounter with the injured alpha wolf. He, of course, alerts the herd about Victor's survival, and each day they cautiously stick together especially with Sid. They tend to the injured sloth as much as they can, making sure that he is healed from the horrific wounds Victor caused on Sid.

Eventually, the yellow sloth was back on his feet by the third week, much to the herd's relief; The herd became much stronger and connected since that night, for the sloth trio were starting to open up to the herd more as they are with them, making them officially part of the family.

One night, Niamh eventually got the courage to approach Diego without fainting or making a quick retreat back to the others as she sits beside the watchful feline near the herd's cave.

"H-Hey Diego" Niamh meekly greeted.

Diego looks at the blue sloth, immediately impressed by the fact she just walked up to the feline alone without anyone holding her paw. "Wow, you came to me without fainting or running back from me"

"Y-Yeah" Niamh nervously giggled.

"Anyway; what can I help you with?" Diego asked the blue sloth.

"M-May I speak with you for a b-bit?" Niamh politely asked.

"Go ahead" Diego shrugged.

Niamh slowly sits beside the saber. fidgeting her paws anxiously before she said: "I just want to talk to y-you about that day at the c-c-cave; When I f-freaked out at y-you guys"

"OK" Diego nodded. "What about that day?"

"I just w-want to say that I'm s-sorry for how I acted t-toward you" Niamh apologized.

"You're sorry?" Diego tilted his head in confusion.

"Yes," Niamh nodded, took a deep breath, and continued: "I m-misjudged you since we've met like I did w-with the o-o-others but mostly to you. I thought y-y-you were just a remorseless p-predator but I c-c-can now see that y-you are a good mammal o-on the inside and I w-w-want to apologize for how I a-acted upon you"

Diego eventually smiles at the blue sloth which was something the blue sloth hadn't seen the saber do for a while before the feline replied: "I appreciate your apology and I understand why you're the way you are"

"D-Dodger told you, didn't he" Niamh nodded.

"Yeah; I'm sorry about your folks" Diego gave his condolences to Niamh.

"Thanks" Niamh sighed. "D-Do you think they w-would be happy for me now?"

"Honestly, I reckon they'd be very proud of you, Niamh" Diego assured the blue sloth. "And, don't take this the wrong way, but I'm glad you freaked out that night"

Niamh stares at Diego, dumbfounded before the saber continues: "Don't get me wrong, I doubt you enjoyed freaking out like that but if it wasn't for you reacting like that back there, none of us would've seen the damage we were doing together and the whole herd would fall apart"

"I...um...I d-don't know w-what to say about t-that" Niamh nervously stuttered.

"You don't have to say anything if you don't want to" Diego assured Niamh.

"T-Thanks Diego" Niamh sincerely smiled at the saber for the first time.

"You're welcome" Diego chuckled as Manny, Carrie, Buck, and Dodger approached them.

"I see you two are finally getting along" Dodger chuckled.

"Yeah" Diego nodded, blushing slightly.

"H-How is S-S-Sid?" Niamh asked the pink sloth.

"Doing much better now, thankfully" Carrie responded.

"I told ya all that he's a tough son of a gun, didn't I?" Buck gleefully nudges the pink sloth on the arm.

Carrie chuckles with the guys before she notices Sid watching the riverbank near the cave with Balthazar nearby for protection. Something came to her mind recently over the last few weeks after all that has happened. She still remembers the moment Sid confessed his true feelings towards her; that Sid the sloth is in love with Carrie herself.

She felt touched by the sloth's honesty and confession but she felt more and more guilty for leaving the poor sloth behind that day without a single explanation and just ran off saying it can never be, deeply hurting the poor sloth's feelings.

"Something on your mind, sis?" Dodger asked.

"Well..." Carrie started. "I'm just thinking about what happened back there that day before we saw you guys again"

"What do you mean?" Manny asked in confusion.

"Did Sid tell you anything regarding us?" Carrie asked the group.

They all shook their heads and muttered no to her before the pink sloth continued: "I see..."

"What happened, Carrie?" Dodger asked.

"Before you guys came to us about Peaches being kidnapped by Victor that day; Sid came up to me and...well..." Carrie sighed.

"Well, what? What did he do?" Diego pressed Carrie on.

"He didn't do anything wrong, he just...he told me that...he was in love with me" Carrie confessed.

"What?!" The group minus Dodger, who knew beforehand by Sid, exclaimed.

"W-Wow! I am s-so happy for you b-both!" Niamh softly replied as she cuddled the pink sloth.

"Niamh; I didn't accept his feelings," Carrie shook her head

"What?!" Niamh and Dodger gasped in bewilderment.

"What?" Manny, Diego, and Buck asked in confusion.

"I just...never gave him a proper answer," Carrie nervously explained.

"Wow…awkward," Diego mumbled to Manny.

"You can say that again," Manny mumbled back.

"I can hear you both," Carrie lowly replied.

"So, what happened? What did you do?" Dodger questioned.

"I just...I told him it just can't be and I..." Carrie started before shamefully sighed: "I just hastily walked away from Sid"

Gees, Carrie; what the heck?" Dodger unimpressively replied.

"You just left Sid like that without giving him an explanation or even much of a response? That's just harsh of ya, lass" Buck added, shaking his head at the pink sloth.

"I know and I regret that!" Carrie loudly groaned.

"So...d-does this mean you don't love Sid at all?" Niamh asked her best friend.

The other female sloth looks on at the sloth in question, oblivious to the conversation as her mind was swimming endlessly with questions that she wishes for an answer? Does she truly love Sid? He may not be handsome but he's not truly vile or ugly to look at; he's not physically strong or charming but he has a heart of gold and a strong devotion to protecting the ones he cares for when push comes to shove.

Sid the sloth is way out of Carrie's league in the eyes of many mammals and yet, she finally realizes that she has fallen in love with the sloth whom she swore would never be her friend from the day they met.

"Carrie?"

The pink sloth turns to the group before she spoke out with: "I need to talk to Sid, alone"

The gang watches as Carrie heads to Sid, noticing that the sloth was star-gazing at the night sky; the yellow sloth suddenly jumps in fright when he felt Carrie's paw who rose her paws up to her torso in defense.

"It's alright, Sid; it's just me" Carrie calmed Sid down.

"S-Sorry, I was just admiring the night sky" Sid sheepishly chuckles.

"May I talk to you about something?" Carrie asked.

"Sure" Sid nodded.

Balthazar knew this was a private conversation before walking away as the two sloths sat on the log before Carrie speaks: "Sid; about that day, when you confessed your feelings to me"

"Y-Yeah" Sid gulped.

"I just want to say that I'm sorry for running off like that on you" Carrie sincerely apologized for how she acted back then that day.

"It's alright; I get it, you don't feel the same way and I understand why; I'll never be perfect for anyone to love me" Sid sighed as he slumps back on the log he was sitting on.

"Sid...did you mean what you said to me that day?" Carrie curiously asked.

"Of course I did. I love you, Carrie; I think you're the most wonderful and courageous sloth I've ever fallen for in my life" The yellow sloth confessed.

Every word Sid was saying was making the stoic sloth warmer within herself as she was feeling something that she never felt in a long while, happiness and love.

"You are such the sweetest and most loving person I've ever met in my life, Sid; I used to think you were just bad luck to me when you first met but now...I want nothing more to be with the one outside the family who never left my side or supported me as much I sadly didn't and I wish I did back then" Carrie sincerely said.

"You mean that?" Sid happily asked to which Carrie nodded with a giggle. The yellow sloth then asked: "Then why did you run off from me like that back there? Did I disgust you or something like that?"

"No Sid, it wasn't because of you, it was because I was scare of being committed to you...I lost my family, my people, and I nearly lost you because of Victor since the very beginning of this whole ordeal...I don't want to lose you, Sid. I cannot bear the thought of you dying because of me" Carrie sadly answered, resting her head on Sid's shoulder.

"Carrie; I understand how you feel but there's nothing to be scared of anymore! You have me and you have the herd to help you! Let me be there for you! Give me a chance and I promise nothing bad will tear us apart" Sid warmly assured Carrie.

Carrie looks at Sid with hopeful eyes as she said: "You promise?"

"I promise with all my heart for you" Sid replied.

Carrie gets up with Sid, holds his paws and blissfully said

"You may not be the perfect guy I wanted, growing up, but you're amazing enough for me, you're the most wonderful sloth I have ever met in my entire life! You were always there for me whenever I felt alone! I wouldn't be here if not for you, I love you so much, Sid"

"And you are the most beautiful sloth I have ever met! You changed my life for the better, even if we did start on the wrong foot and go back and forth with our misadventures! It still has and never will change the way I feel about you; I will always love you Carrie and that's a promise" Sid happily said.

"Thank you, Sid" Carrie thanked the one she loves.

Soon they looked at each other lovingly for a moment, for this is what they truly want, this is what they wish to be, they want to be together because they truly are in love with one another, no matter how different they are. The couple leaned closer to each other and at long last, they kissed for the first time.

Carrie felt lucky that Sid cleaned his teeth with some help from the guys beforehand as she wraps her arms around Sid's shoulders and neck whilst Sid's paws touch her back of her head and waist, it didn't even bother them when they heard the entire herd cheering and applauding for the loving couple.

When Sid and Carrie parted their lips from each other; they both looked at each other dreamily as Carrie playfully said: "So, how was that?"

"It's like I'm eating a whole dandelion field!" Sid lovingly giggled before he bows gracefully to Carrie who giggled out: "What are you doing?"

"Would you like to dance with me, _mi amour_?" Sid playfully asked.

Carrie smiles before curtsying and reply: "Lead on, my darling"

The two sloths hold each other close as they began dancing slowly together, while the herd happily watches them together as Dodger said:

"I'm proud of them, they do belong together"

"I never thought I say this but yeah; you're right" Diego agreed.

The two sloths continue their romantic waltz together as the yellow sloth looks at Carrie and said "I love you so much, Carrie"

"I love you too Sid, so very much," Carrie lovingly replied, resting her head on Sid's chest while they continued dancing slowly.

As the night goes by, the herd and the couple knew one thing's for sure, they are now together as a family and nothing will ever tear their herd apart. Not even Victor or his minions can break the chains of love and family.

For Sid and Carrie, they are both together, indeed, an example of true love.

* * *

**What happens next?**

**Stay tuned to find out!**


	24. Confrontation

**Chapter 23: Confrontation**

* * *

Three more weeks fly by and the herd was starting to get anxious on wherever they have seen the last of Victor or Carlotta or Leo, though he is already slain by the alpha wolf himself; the gang gathered at the cave with Balthazar and Diego returning from their lookout.

"Any sign of them?" Carrie asked the predators.

"No; we haven't tracked one scent of Carlotta and Victor since that night," Diego shook his head.

"We even snuck up at Forbidden Rock to see if they were still residing there but to our surprise, they weren't there," Balthazar added.

"You guys were lucky not to be spotted; otherwise you'd be at his mercy" Manny pointed out as he turns to Sid by the river, eating berries and adds. "Like Sid almost was,"

"Hey, we can take care of ourselves," Diego assured Manny.

"We did find Leo but..." Balthazar spoke again but stops for a bit.

"But?" Dodger asked.

"It seemed Victor had killed him" Balthazar revealed to the group, much to their surprise.

"We found his body at top of Forbidden Rock, most of him looked like he was eaten by the wolves" Diego added.

"O-Oh goodness" Niamh shuddered loudly.

"I know Leo was a backstabbing jerk but...gees..." Dodger quietly spoke.

"You can say that again" Buck agreed with the giant sloth.

"Guys," Ellie stepped forward. "I hope you'll all agree with me when I say that we shouldn't hang around here anymore like this"

"Ellie is right we cannot stay here anymore, we have to get out of here and go somewhere else; somewhere so far that the wolf won't be able to find us" Manny agreed with his wife.

"It won't matter how far we run, Victor will continue to find us, he'll never stop looking for us until he kills us" Carrie shook her head.

"The only option we have left is to put an end to Victor and Carlotta once and for all" Balthazar suggested.

"You mean we have to kill them?" Dodger asked, not admiring the idea of murdering anyone even if Victor and Carlotta are pure evil.

"Balthazar and I can dispose of them if you want, we're predators! We hunt down mongrels like them" Diego explains then turns to Balthazar and adds: "No offense"

"None taken, feline" Balthazar shrugged.

"He's right; it's them or us...They started this war and we must end it" Carrie nodded.

"How can we stop Victor? He was burned alive, fell from a mountain and he's still alive! He's like a cockroach;" Dodger groans in frustration.

"Victor's strong but he's not immortal; if we work all together to fight him and Carlotta this time, we can survive this" Manny replied.

Carrie looks at Sid who was still eating his breakfast; the pink sloth looks back at the group before concluding with: "I think we should leave and find somewhere safe for Peaches and the others especially Sid"

The group looked at one another before Manny agrees with Carrie who then adds: "I'll just get Sid"

The female sloth approaches Sid who smiled happily and said: "Good morning, sweetie; want some berries?"

"No thanks, darling" Carrie giggled.

"So, um...what's going on with the others?" Sid asked.

"We're leaving this place, darling," Carrie replied.

"Really?!" Sid asked in confusion. "But where we go? With Victor and all that, out there"

"Hey!" Carrie hushed her boyfriend and got him to look at her. "No one's going to lay a single claw on you ever again; I will protect you, dear"

"I wish I can be strong enough to protect you too" Sid sighed.

"You are" Carrie assured the yellow sloth. "You just need to be careful and take a stand for yourself for others"

"OK," Sid nodded as he hugs his girlfriend close.

Carrie smiles and hugs Sid back before she said: "Right, let's go"

"You're not going anywhere, sloth"

The duo felt a cold chill up their spines from that loud growl from behind them as they slowly turn to see Carlotta and Victor nearby them. Victor's fur has grown back but was rough like a hairbrush, his teeth are yellow and sharpen, and the scar on Victor's eye was more revealing along with his burnt ear but he looked stronger than before.

"Victor!" Sid squeaked out in fear.

It wasn't long before Balthazar and Diego were in front of the villains, snarling and growling at them whilst Manny and Dodger got close to Sid and Carrie to protect them. Ellie and Buck kept the rest of the group together behind them as they prepared themselves for the confrontation.

"Still alive, are we, Sid?" Victor mocked.

"You know Sid, he's a tough guy on the inside" Manny vouched for Sid.

"So basically he's like a cockroach" Carlotta scoffed.

"Funny; so are Victor and yourself here" Diego deviously smirked at Carlotta.

Carlotta growls furiously before Victor halts her with a paw up before the alpha wolf growled:

"Sid the sloth...Out of the mammals I've faced, you have to be the one to outsmart myself, twice! And out of every single battle in my life, no one, not even a mammoth could touch me, and yet, you...**YOU! **I was slashed on the left eye and then burned alive which got me to lose half of my right ear because of you...It seems you truly do have a death wish, Sid"

"I...I don't know what to say in all of this" Sid whimpered.

"Don't say anything" Carrie shook her head.

"And did I just hear correctly? That you two are a thing now?" Victor asked with coldness in his voice.

"Yes, I'm his girlfriend" Carrie nodded, unashamed to admit it.

"This guy? For real?" Carlotta gagged.

"Funny, I could ask the same for you on Victor" Carrie scoffed.

"I honestly do not care at this point...All I care now is settling the score with that sloth once and for all" Victor snarled before glaring hostility at the herd and growled: "And since you all will try to stop me, I will kill you all as well"

"Bring it on, mutt!" Diego growled back and lunges at the alpha wolf.

Balthazar attacks Carlotta to which the fight has wildly begun with the predators battling each other out, clashing claw to claw, head to head. Manny soon picks up the two sloths, put them on his back before he leads the others away from the villains.

"What about Diego and Balthazar?" Dodger called out to Manny whist on his trunk with Niamh.

"They will be fine, they're strong enough to hold them back and give us time to get you guys to safety" Ellie replied while having Peaches on her back with Buck and the twins on her trunk.

The mammoths guided everyone out of the home area before Manny looks at Ellie, Buck, and Dodger and said: "Get the others to safety, I'll help Diego and Balthazar"

"Be careful, Manny" Ellie worryingly replied.

Suddenly Manny was knocked down by Diego who was pushed off from Victor by a kick and collided with the bull mammoth, Sid worryingly approaches them and before he could speak, Carrie cried out: "Sid, look out!"

Sid turns to see Victor ferociously lunging at the frightened sloth before Manny stops Victor in his tracks, grabbing the alpha wolf with his trunk and throws him away from the others. Balthazar soon rejoins them as Carlotta helps the alpha wolf up; the villains then circle the herd menacingly before Victor snapped:

"Foolish herd; it matters not how many times you can defend yourselves against us! Wherever you run, wherever you hide or fight, I will not stop until every single one of you wretched lot is dead!"

"Ya know something, Victor; your bark more than you bite" Buck mocked the alpha wolf.

"Can I kill the rodent first?" Carlotta hissed to Victor.

"Be my guest" Victor growled out.

"Stay close everyone, they can't stop us all if we work together" Manny spoke out to the herd, ready to fight the villains.

Sid looks at the herd than to the wolves as risky as it is to fight the strongest wolves on the island altogether, Sid cannot risk anyone dying for him especially his true love as he looks over to see a ledge nearby before he walks ahead to it without the gang realizing this.

"Um, Victor" Carlotta spoke out when she spotted the sloth.

"What?" Victor growled in annoyance.

"It's me that you want, not the herd, I am the one you truly want" Sid called out from the ledge nearby.

"Sid?! What are you doing?!" Manny cried out in alarm.

"Stay there, guys!" Sid cried out.

"Sid, don't be an idiot! Get back here!" Carrie yelled out in fear for her boyfriend as she cautiously approaches Sid, pointing her spear at the wolves.

"What are you planning to do, sloth?" Victor scoffed.

"You want me? Well here I am, come and get me!" Sid dared the wolves.

"Are you insane?!" Carrie cried.

"You're mine now, sloth!" Carlotta evilly cackled and charges at the sloth.

"Carlotta, wait!" Victor shouted.

"Sid!" The herd each exclaimed out.

As soon as Carlotta lunges at Sid, the yellow sloth ducks down on the ground, letting the female wolf throw herself over the ledge as she can be heard screaming and falling from the ledge over to the ground way below her. With a loud disturbing crack, Sid and Carrie look down to see Carlotta, dead with her mangled body down below a rocky chasm.

"My goodness...she's dead!" Carrie gasped.

"Not exactly what I was planning to do, to be honest," Sid gulped.

"Guys, look out!" Dodger screamed.

Suddenly Carrie was whacked away by Victor as the alpha wolf grabbed Sid roughly by the throat just as the herd was chasing Victor to stop him.

"Come one step closer and I'll kill him quicker than you know it!" Victor roared at the herd who abruptly halted, fearing the safety of Sid's life in Victor's paw.

Carrie stealthily tries to get her spear before Victor growls whilst pointing his sharp claws near Sid's neck: "And if you pick that up, you can say goodbye to your 'true love'"

"I'm sorry, Carrie; I knew this was risky" Sid gasped out.

"Poor little sloth, It's only a matter of time before you meet your doom" Victor growled.

"I don't think so!" Carrie yelled.

The pink sloth lunges at Victor and managed to shove the wolf off Sid in time but the villain leaps onto the female sloth and tries to bites onto Carrie's shoulder, Both of them begin struggling with one another.

"Carrie!" Sid screamed for his lover before he angrily grabs Victor's jaw and pulls the wolf off from Carrie before the two begin to struggle for a bit.

"Now! Let's get him!" Manny shouted.

But before the herd can stop Victor, Sid and Victor slipped off the ledge as well much to the herd's shock but luckily for them, they managed to slide down into a hole near the rocky chasm which leads to an icicle cave.

"Sid!" Carrie cried out before she grabs her spear and leaps down the ledge, successfully going into the hole after them just as the herd rushes up to the ledge.

"Now where have they gone?!" Dodger loudly cried.

"I know where that hole leads to" Balthazar replied. "But we must hurry!"

"How do you know where they went?" Manny asked whilst being lead by the giant wolf.

"Buddy, I've lived on these parts long before you came here" Balthazar answered while rushing the herd to the icicle cave where the others are.

Meanwhile, Sid and Victor landed on the ground inside an icicle cave; Victor on his back in pain while Sid was lucky enough to only have a sore leg. Sid begins to quickly limp away to safety until Victor slowly got back on his paws and saw Sid escaping deep within the cave as he growled:

"You can run...but you can't hide from me, sloth"

Victor begins to follow Sid and after a few seconds, Carrie landed on the ground with her spear as she looks around the dark place.

"Sid?! Sid! Where are you?!" Carrie cried out as she frantically looks around to find her boyfriend.

Sid eventually stays hidden behind a few boulders, hoping that Carrie finds him before Victor does. The alpha wolf can smell Sid's scent as he growled out:

"Come now, Sid; it'll all be over soon and after I finish with you, your herd especially your dear Carrie will rot with you in hell, like one big foolish family"

Sid quivered in fear, trying not to make a sound for Victor to hear as the evil wolf adds: "There's no one to help you this time, it's just you and I now all alone"

Soon Victor saw Sid's tail behind the boulder which caused the canine to stealthily climb on one of the boulders and leans his head forward to Sid who can feel Victor's presence which made him whimper out loudly.

"Game over..." Victor growled and prepares to kill Sid.

Suddenly Carrie stabs Victor on the shoulder with her spear, causing the wolf to scream in agonizing pain before the pink sloth kicks Victor away from her boyfriend.

"Thanks for that" Sid panted.

"Don't thank me yet; come on!" Carrie cried out as the two sloths fled for their lives, desperately trying to find a way out.

"You utter freaks!" They can hear Victor roaring as the alpha wolf continues the chase.

The two sloths suddenly see a light nearby to which they can spot a way out before they rushed out of the cave; suddenly Sid was halted by Carrie outside of the icicle cave to which they were standing on ice and there was nothing else but a small slippery ledge.

"Should we jump?" Sid gulped.

"No way, look!" Carrie shook her head.

The way down was steeper than the rocky chasm was and was nothing more but sharp icicles down below; the two sloths were about to head back in the cave to find another way out but were soon halted when Victor furiously blocks their way.

"There's nowhere else to go! This is the end of the line!" Victor ferociously growled.

The sloths realized he was right, this is it, the final moment of the final battle and in the end, only one will stand victorious.

"Alright then Victor, It's time to finish this war once and for all" Carrie declared.

"Y-You won't win" Sid gulped but was ready to fight side by side with Carrie against their nemesis.

"We'll see sloth...We'll see" Victor growled.

Soon Victor lunges at Sid only for the yellow sloth to frantically dodge him and whacked Victor with his fist.

"You're gonna have to do better than that" Victor hissed and whacks Sid in the face.

"Ow! My nose!" Sid exclaimed as Victor smacks him down to the ground before Carrie kicks him away from Sid.

"Come on Sid! We can fight him together" Carrie spoke out to her lover.

"Right" Sid nodded.

"You two think you can stop me?" Victor scoffed.

"We don't think we can...We know we can" Carrie angrily replied.

"Ha! Fools! Haven't you learned anything at all? I'm the alpha wolf! The strongest wolf on this island! If you haven't got rid of me in the past, what makes you think you'll stop me now?!" Victor bellowed.

"It is you who hasn't learned anything" Sid sternly whimpered.

"What do you mean by that?" Victor snarled.

"Well...um...A little help Carrie?" Sid whispered.

"What he means is that you have no idea that love, family, and friendship is stronger than anything in the world, even you Victor, You refused to let others give you friendship and compassion...You just kept on being cold and cruel to those who are innocent" Carrie angrily explained.

"Even Carlotta loved you and you treated her like garbage" Sid pointed out.

"I couldn't care less about Carlotta, nor about those other foolish things you believe in" Victor spatted.

"Then you will always be a lonely soul until the end...You think you're so powerful but in the end, you're nothing but a weak dog" Carrie spatted back at Victor.

"And to make it worse, you and your pack have been defeated by two simple sloths" Sid mocked Victor.

"How dare you mock me?" Victor growls with malice.

"Are you gonna fight or are you just kept growling" Carrie angrily demanded.

"Shut up! This ends right now!" Victor angrily exclaimed and he furiously charges at the sloths.

The two sloths fought the alpha wolf with all their might as each of them managed to get an attack on Victor.

"This is for my family!" Carrie shouted and punches Victor in the face

"This is for the herd" Sid cried as he stomped on Victor's tail.

"This is for my people" Carrie angrily exclaimed as she slaps Victor hard on the face.

"This is for Balthazar and his pack!" Sid snapped as he pokes Victor in the eyes.

"This is for what you've done to my boyfriend!" Carrie yelled as she kicks Victor's hind legs.

"This is for what you've done to my girlfriend!" Sid mimics Carrie's yell and he pulls Victor's ears.

**"Stop toying with me!"** Victor roared and whacks Carrie over to the ledge as the pink sloth slips on the ice and nearly falls as she holds onto dear life on the edge of the ledge.

"Carrie! Hold on!" Sid cried out.

Victor suddenly whacks Sid away to the rocky wall where one of the entrances of the icy cave was before a block of ice crumbles down and lands on Sid's legs, causing the sloth to be painfully trapped and cannot escape.

"No!" Carrie exclaimed as she tries to climb up but the ice on the ledge made it tricky to get back up.

Victor dangerously approaches the trapped sloth with such hostile glare in his eyes and with one mighty leap, he insanely lunges at Sid, ready to finally put an end to his nemesis when suddenly Carrie, who managed to got back up from the ledge, slide down the ice in between Sid and Victor and with one thrust of her spear, Carrie stabbed Victor's torso, making the villain gasp weakly.

Everything went silent for a moment as if time had stopped as Victor looks down to his stabbed torso before Carrie let out a bellowing shout and with all of her strength, she shoves Victor off from her spear, sending the alpha wolf over the icy ledge. The alpha wolf can be heard, screaming down below before the villain then lands on a sharp icicle below, impaling his whole upper body.

After Carrie pushes the block of ice off from Sid, the two looked to see the stabbed corpse of their enemy as the sight of the dead wolf causes the two sloth to cringe in disgust and shock of Victor's messy demise.

The couple then moves back from the ledge and rest against the wall of the entrance, Sid looks at Carrie and panted: "I-Is it over? Is it...is this the end?"

"You know what? ... Yes ... Yes, it is, Sid. It's over...We won" Carrie panted.

Neither of them has anything to say, the war is over; they have triumphed over the wicked alpha wolf, shock soon turns to happiness, happiness then leads to tears of joy for Carrie before they impulsively and lovingly hold each other close and kissed deeply now they are free from the evil that has haunted them for so long.

Again and again, they happily thought to themselves, it's over...they're free.

* * *

**What happens next?**

**Stay tuned to find out!**


	25. Epilogue

**Epilogue: Happily Ever After**

* * *

Meanwhile, the herd and Balthazar were still heading to the entrance where the icy cave is until Balthazar stops when he notices something down within the ledge nearby where Sid and Carrie fought Victor.

"What is it?" Diego asked the giant wolf.

"Don't let the kid see this but I think I can see Victor down there" Balthazar said, looking down in shock.

"What do you-?" Manny looks down before his eyes widen at the sight of the dead alpha wolf down below.

"Is he...?" Buck asked.

"Yep...he's dead, alright" Balthazar nodded as he couldn't believe that the alpha wolf is finally dead.

"Do you think Sid and Carrie triumphed over him?" Ellie asked, whist making Peaches don't see Victor's body.

"I just hope we're not too late," Dodger said in concern.

"HEY!"

The herd then sees Carrie and Sid walking out of the entrance of the icy cave and happily waving at them.

"T-They're alive!" Niamh happily cried out.

The herd cheered as they run to the duo, happily expressing their relief that they are OK and safe. Manny then asked the two sloths if they were doing OK to which the two sloths nodded.

"I can't believe it, you two defeated Victor!" Crash cheered.

"Although a bit messy at the results" Eddie nervously pointed out.

"I did what I had to do to stop him from killing my dear Sid" Carrie replied.

"Carrie was awesome, she defeated Victor like a true warrior" Sid phrased his girlfriend.

Carrie smiles and holds Sid's paws before correcting him with: "We did it, Sid; We beat him together" the female sloth turns to her new family and said: "And now we're free!"

The herd huddles one another, happy that the worst was over and they are victorious against the evil wolves. Balthazar smiles for the herd before concluding that he is no longer needed to protect the herd from Victor and the others as he begins to walk away, wondering what will he do now since he has become a lone wolf now.

"Hey Balthazar; where are you going?" Diego called out.

Balthazar looks back at the confused herd before replying with: "To be honest, I'm not sure; now that Victor and the pack are gone, you don't need me to protect you and I guess I'm on my own now since I was born and grew up with the pack despite Victor's rule. I don't even know where to start again but I guess this is goodbye now"

"Don't say that; why don't you stay with us? Be part of the herd" Manny offered the large wolf.

"You...You want me to be part of your herd?" Balthazar asked, his head tilted in confusion.

"Of course" Ellie nodded.

"I don't know...after all, that has happened, are you sure about having me with you?" Balthazar questioned the herd.

"Buddy; you've earned our trust and respect when you brought back Peaches to us, saved our lives from that cave, and helped us rescue Sid. If not for you, we wouldn't be here" Manny proudly responded to Balthazar, accepting him as a friend.

The wolf then sees Peaches going to him and said: "Please stay with us, please? I always wanted a dog in the family"

Balthazar chuckles at Peaches' innocence and for a while, after looking at the herd smiling and embracing him as a friend, he felt for the first time in a long time, he was with a good company that's like a pack, a family.

"Well, I suppose it's better than nothing; I'd be honored to be part of your herd" Balthazar accepted, smiling at Peaches.

"Yay!" Peaches cheered and cuddle the big wolf. "Welcome to the family, doggie!"

Balthazar smiles warmly and embraces Peaches back, feeling loved from a family for the first time since forever.

As the herd welcomes their new herd member to the group, they head back home where they can now finally live in peace and harmony, where no evil wolf or anything else bad can ever hurt them again.

* * *

Five months have passed since the herd defeated the villains; Manny and the herd were lately showing more love and kindness to Sid than in the past. Much can be the same for the other sloths in the herd and even Balthazar was accepted and respected in the herd.

Things had never been better for the herd as they are one big proud happy family. Dodger was still the same happy carefree sloth while Niamh, still anxious and shaky as she is. She eventually becomes more confident and braver to the point where she doesn't stutter nor faints as much as she used to. Eventually, Nimah finally gathers the courage to leads Dodger to the river where they first reunited with Sid as they both sat on the snowy ground as the blue sloth plans to confess her feelings to Dodger.

"So, what can I do for you, Niamh?" Dodger asked.

"Listen Dodger...d-do you remember that day when I f-f-freaked out in that c-cave?" Niamh started.

"Yes, I remember that" Dodger nodded. "You gave us quite a fright back there"

"Sorry" Niamh apologized.

"Don't be; in fact, you stood up to the chaos and helped us through that day, I was proud of you" Dodger replied.

"T-Thanks...Anyway d-do you remember anything that I said to you before I...you know" Niamh nervously mumbled.

Dodger thought for a moment before he replied with: "Well...You did say that I was a dead gorgeous muscular hunk"

"You weren't offended by that?" Niamh asked, blushing bright red.

"I took that as a compliment from you" Dodger chuckled. "Why? What about that?"

"Well...I m-meant what I said b-back there despite myself telling y-you all that it was just the anxiety t-t-talking..." Niamh gulped.

"What are you saying?" Dodger asked, eventually starting to realize what Niamh was trying to tell Dodger.

"Um..." Niamh whimpered, getting more anxious at this point.

"Niamh, are you telling me that you have...well...feelings for me?" Dodger questioned the female sloth.

"Well it's c-complicated, you see and I...I, um..." Niamh started before she lets out a loud groan, losing her nerve as she whined: "I want to tell you but I can't get the words out of my mouth because of my darn anxiety!"

"Niamh" Dodger gently wraps his strong arms around the anxious sloth and gently comforts her with a soothing gentle voice: "I understand you're scared and nervous about explaining things but you can tell me anything, even if you want to take your time, I'll let you do that"

"I...I don't know if I c-can" Niamh stuttered.

'Just try Niamh, There's nothing to be scared of; Just answer me one question, alright?" Dodger assured Niamh before he looks at her comfortingly in the eyes and adds: "Niamh; are you actually in love with me?

The blue sloth looks at Dodger, her love for the green sloth wants to reveal her feelings yet she fears rejection from him if confessed. Niamh can hear her mind saying "Don't back away! Do NOT back away"

"Niamh?" Dodger said in concern.

Niamh tries to speak but she was finding it hard to muster all of the courage to say anything, she felt like she was about to faint but her mind suddenly begins shouting out: "Don't back away! **Don't back away!**"

"Yes"

Dodger looks at Niamh in bewilderment before the blue sloth adds, getting louder with each word: "Y-Yes! I'm in love with you! I love you, Dodger! I've always loved you since the moment I met you and I wanted to say this to you for so long but I was too much of a coward to say anything!"

Niamh was panting a bit due to her mild freak out confession before Dodger slowly nods and replies with: "Wow"

"W-wow what? What's the matter?" Niamh stuttered.

"It's just that I never knew you had a crush on me before" Dodger admitted.

"R-Really?" Niamh asked.

"Yeah" Dodger nodded.

"W-Well I'm sorry, I didn't s-say anything sooner" Niamh whimpered, still timid of the results after her confession.

"OK; so what do you love about me, Niamh?" Dodger questioned.

"Um...well...E-Everything" Niamh nervously replied.

"Everything?" Dodger chuckled.

"W-Well...yeah...I mean...well...I love you because..." Niamh mumbled whilst trying to figure out the perfect way to explain her love for the green sloth. "You're an amazing best friend that cares so much for anyone like myself a-and you're s-sweet, l-loyal, h-handsome, brave, amazing and...um...and...And sexy"

"Sexy? You think I'm sexy?" Dodger sweetly chuckled.

"Well...yeah" Niamh bashfully admitted.

"Niamh I gotta ask: Why didn't you tell me this before?" Dodger asked.

"W-Well...I was scared" Niamh sadly answered.

"Scared of what?" Dodger asked.

"Of being rejected by y-you; I mean...L-Look at me! W-Who would w-want to l-l-love a coward like me?" Niamh depressingly responded.

"Hey! You're not a coward!" Dodger shook his head. "Yes you have anxiety problems but that's OK; You're also very brave, very kind and sweet noble lady"

"A-And I love y-you for who you are. A loyal, brave, handsome, and funny sloth" Niamh replied.

Dodger sweetly looks at Niamh, touched by her confession as he decided to confess something to the blue sloth as well: "Niamh"

"Y-Yes Dodger?" Niamh stuttered

"You didn't have to afraid of confessing your feelings for me because the truth is, I feel the same way about you" Dodger happily confessed.

"R-R-R-Really?!" Niamh gasped.

"Yes Niamh, if you would let me, I will always love you no matter what happens, I will never leave you Niamh because you're everything in this world to me"

"Oh, Dodger..." Niamh sobbed. "I love you too"

Niamh cuddles the green sloth close who embraces her back; the newly loving couple stare at one another lovingly before Dodger leans in to kiss Niamh who hesitated a bit as the male sloth looks at her worryingly: "What's wrong?"

"This m-may sounds silly but I...well" Niamh sheepishly started.

"Are you nervous about me kissing you?" Dodger asked.

"Well...yeah" Niamh admitted.

"I see...Don't worry Niamh, I'll be gentle with you" Dodger soothed the blue sloth who looks at Dodger giving her a comforting smile as he strokes her blue hair and sweetly adds: "Do you trust me?"

"I...I trust you" said Niamh.

"Close your eyes" Dodger whispered.

Niamh closes her eyes as Dodger leans forward to the female sloth to which the two of them finally kissed for the first time. Niamh slowly opens her eyes as she felt so amazed and relaxed at her love kissing her gently and warmly; as soon as they parted their kiss, Niamh lies back with Dodger next to her, continuously stroking her hair to relax her.

"How was that?" Dodger handsomely chuckled.

"For the first t-time, I felt so very h-happy and r-r-relaxed" Niamh quietly giggled.

After a moment of staring lovingly at each other, Dodger leans forwards to Niamh again and whispered "I love you Niamh"

"I love you too Dodger...so much" Niamh happily replied and kisses Dodger again, finally over the moon that her wish has come true with Dodger finally with her as her one true love.

* * *

Meanwhile, Carrie and Sid got together near the beach where they once resided at the sea cave, during a clear night sky with a full moon glowing brightly.

"Isn't this wonderful, Carrie?" Sid asked.

"Yes, it is wonderful Sid" Carrie nodded before leaning forward to kiss her husband on the cheek.

"Are you happy here with the herd and myself especially?" Sid questioned his girlfriend.

"Honestly, Sid; reuniting with you and joining the herd is the best thing that has ever happened to me and the others looking back now to where we are. So thank you" Carrie happily replied.

"You seemed so at ease, so very happy" Sid chuckled.

"I am very happy now that I have you with me and the herd as my new family. I feel like I've become my true self again before all of this happened" Carrie answered with such calm and relaxation.

"Carrie, how long has it been since we got together as a couple?" Sid asked.

"Nearly six months now and you know what, those months with you, Sid, has been the best start of my new life" Carrie replied, smiling happily at the yellow sloth.

"It may get better" Sid happily adds:

Carrie looks up at Sid confusingly and asked: "What do you mean?"

Sid then got Carrie got up to her feet before he kneels and took Carrie's paw and speaks from the heart: "Carrie, I love you so much! You mean everything to me and you are what I want to be with for the rest of my life, I love you more than the whole Ice Age itself...So Carrie... Will you do the honor of being my mate for life"

Carrie stares at Sid bewilderment for a moment to which Sid quickly took it as a negative sign before stuttering: "W-Well you don't have to say yes if you don't want to; I-I mean we can wait longer if you want to! I don't want to put too much pressure on you and me -!"

Suddenly Sid was yanked closer to the female sloth as Carrie kisses Sid's lips deeply and passionately before she parts and nuzzled Sid's head, happily exclaiming:

"Yes! Yes I'll be your wife"

"Y-You will?" Sid gasped.

"You're amazing enough for me and I would rather spend the rest of my life with no one but you as my husband" Carrie confessed.

"Really?" Sid happily asked.

Carrie nodded and with that, Sid kisses his now happily wife whilst holding each other close lovingly. The two happy couple then looked into each other's eyes before Sid romantically said "I love you so much, Carrie"

"I love you too, Sid, so very much" Carrie lovingly replied

Both Sid and Carrie knew that a new life for them has just begun now that they are now soul mates and both of them knew one thing's for sure.

True love truly does live forever and they all lived happily ever after.

* * *

**The End**

* * *

**Well, there you all have it; that's the end of the reboot of my True Love series.**

**Hoped you all enjoyed it.**

**Until next time; This is A G Wicked saying good day/night friends :)**


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